Pros, Cons of Where NC State Stands in ACC
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When Will Wade took over as the head coach of the North Carolina State Wolfpack men's basketball team in the offseason, the goal was to return to postseason play and ACC contention.
While it's been a turbulent, up-and-down, maddeningly inconsistent season for the team, it's right where it wants to be. The Wolfpack sits tied for third place in the conference with No. 17 Virginia, trailing only No. 4 Duke and No. 22 Clemson, at the halfway point of the conference schedule.
ACC Standings after Saturday's games, about a month through conference play. Reminder, bottom three teams don't qualify for ACC Tournament pic.twitter.com/IlWXhTnEdw
— Austin Veazey (@EasyVeazeyNG) February 1, 2026
Where NC State Stands
The NC State Wolfpack has a 7-2 record in conference play, with losses to Virginia and Georgia Tech. It is one game behind Clemson, which it has already beaten and can be considered Will Wade's first signature win with the team, and two games behind the Blue Devils, who have yet to lose in conference play and whose only blemish is a one-point loss to No. 11 Texas Tech in late December.
Duke has three upcoming games against ranked opponents that could impact the ACC standings, while Clemson still has to face No. 16 North Carolina and No. 20 Louisville in addition to the Blue Devils. Duke is also the only remaining ranked team on Virginia's schedule.
NC State's win over Clemson looms large as it was the only meeting between the two schools this season, meaning the Wolfpack would hold the tiebreaker over the Tigers if it came down to a direct comparison and a head-to-head result. However, North Carolina State lost to Virginia, so it will need to beat the Cavliers on the road on Feb. 24. Failing to do so will force the Wolfpack to hope for some help.
The Remaining NC State Schedule
NC State only has one game remaining against an ACC team above it in the conference standings, and that comes against Duke in early March. It's the second straight season that the two schools will only meet once, and the Wolfpack dropped that game in Durham a year ago. However, wins over Duke helped spur NC State's most recent NCAA Tournament run. Is something similar in the cards?
The Wolfpack will have to take care of business in the ACC first, and it won't be easy. The inconsistent play and execution of this team leaves the door open in every game. Aside from the win over Florida State, NC State has yet to be truly dominant in a conference matchup.
Upcoming games against SMU, No. 20 Louisville, Miami, and No. 16 North Carolina can easily shake things up and turn the season upside down. So while there's some hope in the way NC State has begun the season, the second half of ACC play will reveal if the Wolfpack is truly a conference title contender.
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Travis Tyler joined On SI as a writer in January 2026. He has experience contributing to FanSided’s NFL, college football, and college basketball coverage, in addition to freelance work throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including high school, college, and professional sports for the Dallas Express and contributions to the College Football Dawgs, Last Word on Sports/Hockey, and The Dallas Morning News. In addition to his writing, Travis contributes video and podcasting content to Fanatics View and regularly appears as a guest analyst. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and SMU and is an avid Detroit sports fan with a deep knowledge and appreciation of sports history. Follow Travis Tyler on Twitter at @TTyler_Sports.