Did Sports Illustrated Underrate or Nail NC State’s Ranking?
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RALEIGH — NC State men's basketball unofficially debuted with its 88-86 exhibition win over South Carolina in Greensboro on Sunday. The real season gets underway Monday, when the Wolfpack will open the 2025-26 campaign with a matchup against NC Central.
As the college basketball season rapidly approaches, many analysts, including Sports Illustrated national basketball writer Kevin Sweeney, have released definitive rankings for every Division I program.
The Wolfpack, a program eager to steal the national spotlight from its Triangle rivals, came in at No. 33 in the nation according to Sweeney.
Sweeney's Thoughts
At No. 33 out of 365 eligibile programs, NC State came in just outside the truly elite programs. While the writer didn't evaluate each of the 365 teams, he mentioned highlights for the notables across the country. The Wolfpack did enough during the offseason to draw his attention.
"NC State (No. 33) has plenty of backcourt talent in Will Wade’s first season, especially if young guards Paul McNeil and Matt Able live up to the lofty billing they’ve earned in practice," he wrote.
Sweeney ranked the Wolfpack fifth amongst other ACC programs, trailing North Carolina, Virginia, Louisville and Duke. All four of those programs placed inside the top 25 in the country.
Boots on the Ground Opinion
More often than not, national college basketball reporters are stretched thin and can't truly evaluate every team in the nation. Some narrow it down to 50 teams. Some are just 25. As for NC State being 33rd, that placement is less about the known and more about the unknown.
The Wolfpack roster is nearly all transfers. Some of these players got lots of minutes at their prior stops, especially preseason ACC Player of the Year Darrion Williams, who went unmentioned by Sweeney. Some are lesser-known commodities. Even so, the group's confidence should tell you enough. This team is ready to compete right away. Wade himself said so.
Then there's the AP poll. While the preseason poll is close to useless long-term, it does offer a good reference point for the temperatures of every program. NC State came in one spot outside of the top 25. Not quite 33rd.
The exhibition game offered some insight into the team's strengths and weaknesses. There's no reason to believe Wade won't fix some of the defensive woes from his squad's very first outing together. That's been his calling card for years. On top of that, Paul McNeil, mentioned by Sweeney, already appears to be a larger piece than expected. He did hit a game-winner after all.
PAUL MCNEIL JR GAME WINNER!!! pic.twitter.com/wZD3VzAErY
— NC State Men's Basketball (@PackMensBball) October 26, 2025
Wade knew what he signed up for. The Wolfpack brand, made famous by Norm Sloan and Jim Valvano, faded. There were brief moments in the sun, such as DJ Burns and Co.'s miraculous Final Four run in 2024, but the respect that once existed for NC State men's basketball became lost to time.
The first-year coach will have to earn that credit back. This ranking is just more fuel for Wade's fire to make that happen.
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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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