How Out-of-Town ACC Scores Affected Wolfpack Men's Basketball

NC State played just one game during Week 15 of the 2025-26 college basketball season, knocking off a ranked North Carolina squad that dropped from 16th to 18th in Monday's update of the AP Top 25. Will Wade and the Wolfpack find themselves in the midst of a hectic battle at the top of the ACC standings, with several teams vying to finish in the top four.

The Pack holds tiebreakers over teams like Clemson and UNC, but lacks those advantages against Miami and Louisville. With just four games left on the schedule, things are getting crowded in the race. However, several results over the last week helped NC State regain the upper hand in some of those races.

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On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, host and lead beat writer Tucker Sennett runs through the other results around the ACC during Week 15, detailing how each win or loss affected the Wolfpack in the standings.

The bracketology outlook?

Feb 17, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Darrion Williams (1) controls the ball against North Carolina Tar Heels guard Jonathan Powell (11) during the second half at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The Wolfpack is just on the brink of securing a seven-seed in the NCAA Tournament field, according to the Bracket Matrix, a service that aggregates 121 different Bracketology services in an effort to find the average for each team vying for a tournament position. NC State appeared on all 121 recognized brackets according to the Matrix.

The remainder of the ACC schedule includes two enormous opportunities for NC State to improve an already solid resumé. The Wolfpack heads just north to face Virginia, a ranked opponent that already secured one win over the Pack back in January, on Tuesday. Then, the Pack hosts a Duke team considered by some to be the top team in the nation on March 2.

Mar 26, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; General view of an NCAA March Madness logo on sideline seats during a practice session in preparation for an East Regional semifinal game at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

ESPN's Joe Lunardi listed the Wolfpack on the higher end of the spectrum in his Feb. 20 update of the bracket. The ESPN bracket has been prone to volatility over the last two weeks and Lunardi's hit rate hasn't been as high as many other bracketologists listed on the Matrix. Still, it's a solid reference point and doesn't fall under any extremes.

NC State holds a 5-5 record in Quadrant 1 games and really only has one blemish on the resumé, that being the loss to Georgia Tech, which currently sits as a Quadrant 4 loss. The late success of programs like Florida State and Wake Forest is benefiting the Wolfpack greatly, but a win over Virginia or Duke would push the Pack over the top when it comes to national respect.

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