Storylines Run Deep as NC State Hosts Syracuse

RALEIGH — Will Wade and NC State men's basketball are back in the Lenovo Center on Tuesday, ready for an important league matchup against Syracuse. The Wolfpack has not won a game at home in the calendar year, losing its first two home games of 2026 to Virginia and Georgia Tech.

The challenge will be significant, as the Orange (12-8, 3-4 ACC) rides into Raleigh with a three-game losing streak, desperately in need of snapping. The Pack (14-6, 5-2 ACC) needs to keep the positive momentum from another strong road trip rolling, especially if Syracuse continues to crumble, with the game slipping from a Quadrant 2 to Quadrant 3 opportunity according to the NET rankings.

Challenges posed by Syracuse

The Orange appeared to be massively improved early in the season, with coach Adrian "Red" Autry bringing back a handful of key members of the team from last season. Things haven't gone well since Autry's team shot out to a 3-1 start in conference play, losing those next three games. The Orange, like the Wolfpack, let two games in its home building slip away.

Desperation can be dangerous in a team like Syracuse, as the Orange has the talent to make things dicey for NC State, should the Wolfpack start the game poorly like it's been prone to do at home. Autry's team runs through sophomore forward Donnie Freeman, who averages a whopping 18.7 points per game and 7.2 rebounds to go along with them. The sophomore missed a handful of games with an injury but seems to be back at full strength.

Wade mentioned his concern with Syracuse's backcourt during the Monday ACC coaches Zoom call, with JJ Starling being a prime reason for that stress. The senior guard averages 11.2 points and 2.5 assists. The stable of guards stretches beyond Starling, as Nathan George, Nate Kingz and Kiyan Anthony all offer Autry talented options in the backcourt.

The Orange have the talent to score at a high clip, but haven't put it all together. Syracuse averages 75.7 points per game, falling nearly 10 points behind the Wolfpack's 85.3. However, Autry's team makes up for it by playing some of the stingiest defense in the ACC, allowing opponents to score just 69 points per game, the fifth-best scoring defense in the conference.

How the Pack can attack the Orange

The dominating storyline for NC State entering the game will be Quadir Copeland facing off against his former school. Copeland left after two seasons at Syracuse, joining Wade at McNeese State before transferring when his coach took the job with the Wolfpack. The passionate and explosive guard will need to keep his emotions in check against his old squad and coach.

While opponents aren't shooting the three with great success against the Orange, the Wolfpack should be able to get quality looks, especially if Copeland is under control. NC State will try to get the usage numbers back to normal for Copeland and forward Darrion Williams after the latter dealt with foul trouble and lost some rhythm in the road victory over Pitt.

If Ven-Allen Lubin can continue his run of strong form, the Wolfpack should be able to overcome Syracuse's paint defense. Opponents are getting offensive rebounds 32.6% of possessions against the Orange, meaning Lubin and other members of the Wolfpack front court should be able to work the glass more aggressively than usual.

The one thing NC State can't afford to do is start slow, as Syracuse's offense is vastly superior to both Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech, as the Pack's last two icy starts came against those two teams.

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