Looking at Another Important Week for Both Wolfpack Programs
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With the ACC schedule in full swing, both NC State men's and women's basketball teams will be in action throughout this week, pushing toward the top of the conference standings. Both teams have had success on the road recently, but need to show more consistency as the 2026 schedule progresses.
The Wolfpack men are set for a two-game week, starting with a return to the Lenovo Center against Syracuse on Tuesday. Will Wade and the Pack knocked off a ranked Clemson side and Pitt, both on the road, last week, recovering nicely from a disappointing home loss to Georgia Tech.
No look, no problem 👀 pic.twitter.com/XsDaLqZ7EI
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) January 25, 2026
Wes Moore and the Wolfpack women have another unique week on the schedule, with just one game on the calendar, but a quick turnaround with a Monday game the following week. NC State will hit the road again, this time facing Boston College on Thursday with an opportunity to create more separation in the ACC standings.
On this episode of the NC State Insider Podcast, host and lead beat writer Tucker Sennett gives a general breakdown of the schedule for both programs, while providing context on the importance of the games and challenges the opponents pose for the Wolfpack.
Watch the new episode here
Two star performances from last week
A key in the coming week for both programs will be star players maintaining the level of play they showed in Saturday's wins. On the men's side, senior guard Quadir Copeland stepped up in a critical role for the Wolfpack, scoring 20 points on 11 shots, while also dishing out nine assists as the Pack outlasted Pitt 81-72.
"We needed him. His usage rate was a little high because Darrion was in foul trouble," Wade said. "That wasn't really the plan, but we had to use him quite a bit and he did a really nice job. There were a couple of ill-advised shots, but for the most part, he was really good."
For Wes Moore and NC State women's basketball, it took a historic performance from junior guard Zoe Brooks to get over the hump in overtime against Virginia. Brooks entered the matchup playing some of the best basketball of her career, but was disappointed after her team fell to a top-10 Louisville side at home a week earlier. She took that loss personally.
Brooks scored 37 points against the 'Hoos, setting new program records for made and attempted free throws, going 19-of-20 from the charity stripe. Brooks will look to sustain that level of play as the Pack pushes toward the top of the conference standings.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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