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NC State Carries Win Streaks Into Road Test at Wake Forest

The Wolfpack is looking to complete a clean sweep of the Demon Deacons with another win, this time on the road.
Tucker Sennett|
Jan 27, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Darrion Williams (1) and Syracuse Orange guard Nate Kingz (4) react to the call during the second half of the game at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images
Jan 27, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Darrion Williams (1) and Syracuse Orange guard Nate Kingz (4) react to the call during the second half of the game at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

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North Carolina State Wolfpack

RALEIGH — Since the start of the ACC schedule, NC State (15-6, 6-2 ACC) looks like a completely different team under head coach Will Wade. A greater sense of urgency and improved consistency from the stars of the Wolfpack propelled the group through a handful of road trips already. Now, the Pack will need to bring that same intensity on the road, although it won't go far.

Wake Forest (11-10, 2-6 ACC) is set to host NC State at the Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Saturday. The Wolfpack already took care of business earlier in the season against the Demon Deacons in the Lenovo Center, beating them 70-57 in the opener for the ACC slate. Can NC State do it again, this time on the road?

Problems posed by Wake Forest

Steve Forbe
Jan 24, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Steve Forbes directs his team during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

The start of the ACC slate did not bring the consistent success Steve Forbes and the Demon Deacons were looking for after an up-and-down non-conference schedule. Wake Forest faced some of the best programs in the conference, already racking up losses to Duke, North Carolina, Miami and SMU, in addition to the opening loss to the Wolfpack.

Juke Harris continues to excel for the Demon Deacons, averaging 21.3 points and 6.1 rebounds across the first eight conference games. The Wolfpack held Harris to 17 points in what was an inefficient scoring night, as he shot just 5-of-16 from the field. He'll be looking to wash away that disappointing outing with a stronger performance at home, a building he's had great success in.

Juke Harris
Jan 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Juke Harris (2) drives to the basket against Pittsburgh Panthers guard Barry Dunning Jr. (22) during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Wake Forest likely fell out of consideration for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after Tuesday's overtime loss against Pittsburgh. That result gave Forbes' team its fourth Quadrant 2 loss of the year. Pairing that record with the 1-6 record in Quadrant 1 opportunities, it's hard to envision the Deacs digging themselves out of this hole.

Wade didn't think his team put its best foot forward in the earlier matchup against Wake Forest, yet still found a way to pull that game out. It's hard to say whether Forbes feels the same, but it feels as though the home team might provide a little bit more of a punch on Saturday, especially in another sleepy noon start for the Wolfpack.

How the Wolfpack can attack Wake Forest

WIll Wad
Jan 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; NC State Wolfpack head coach Will Wade reacts on the court against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The poor shooting performance from Darrion Williams in the first Wake Forest matchup sparked Will Wade's viral rant in which he defended his star player and his ability to affect winning. Other than a few hiccups since that point, Williams has been a different player, averaging 14.7 points and shooting 40.5% from 3-point range.

If NC State gets the balanced usage rate from Williams and starting point guard Quadir Copeland, it has been unbeatable through most of the season. Copleand took 11 shots against the Demon Deacons in the first bout, but also dished out eight assists in the victory. He'll look to be even more efficient in this one.

NC Stat
Jan 27, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack huddles during the first half of the game against the Syracuse Orange at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The Wolfpack rides into Winston-Salem carrying a three-game win streak and has won its last four games away from the Lenovo Center. Wade's group won four games in a row to open the season, but hasn't strung together more than three in a row since. In terms of momentum for the remainder of the ACC season, a win over Wake Forest is crucial.

Execution and a solid start should help the Wolfpack survive against a struggling, but still dangerous, Demon Deacon squad. If the Pack has a similar start to the one it had on the road against Pittsburgh a week prior, it could be at risk of dropping another game. However, there should be some urgency, given the NET rating for Wake Forest still makes this a Quadrant 1 matchup.

With another snowstorm expected to hit the entire state, Saturday's start time was moved up to noon. The Pack has been hit-or-miss in those early starts so far in Wade's first season, which makes the importance of starting fast and controlling the game even greater. The weather likely means a very sleepy crowd at the Joel Coliseum, as not many NC State fans will make the trip due to poor road conditions to the Wake Forest campus.

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Tucker Sennett
TUCKER SENNETT

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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