Syracuse faces a tough North Carolina State team on the road

Postseason dreams are all but gone for the Orange, who need to turn things around when they face the Wolfpack.

Jan 10, 2026; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Quadir Copeland (11) shoots the ball past Florida State Seminoles guard Kobe MaGee (5) during the second half at Donald L. Tucker Center. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The tough part of the ACC schedule has arrived for Syracuse starting on Tuesday night when they travel to North Carolina State.  It could not come at a worse time for the Orange (12-8, 3-4 ACC), who have lost their last three, all in conference play, including their last two at home.  The Wolfpack (14-6, 5-2) enter the game on a hot streak, having won four of five, a run capped by road wins over Clemson and Pittsburgh last week.  

N.C. State’s strong play has been powered by 3-point shooting above their excellent level on the season.  The Wolfpack have shot 39.4 percent from long range on the season, but they have torched the net in their last five outings, draining 59 3-pointers at a 44.4 percent clip.

North Carolina State's balanced offense is paced by the best 3-point shooter in the ACC

Three players shoot over 39 percent from behind the arc on the season, led by Paul McNeil Jr., who stands atop the ACC by making 42.0 percent of his 3-point shots while also ranking second in the conference with 63 3-pointers made on the season.  McNeil is third of four players who comprise a balanced ‘Pack attack, as each member that quartet posts between 13.4 and 14.1 points per game.

Former SU player Quadir Copeland paces that group with 14.1 points per game to go with an ACC-high 7.0 assists per game in conference action (6.2 assists per game overall).  While a premier set-up man, Copeland does have some issues with ball security, having committed 54 turnovers on the season.

Forwards Darrion Williams and Ven-Allen Lubin round out the scoring quartet for North Carolina State.  Williams, who was the prize newcomer of the offseason for the program, does a little bit of everything for the Wolfpack, ranking second on the team in points, rebounds, assists, and 3-pointers made.  

Lubin is a traditional power forward who operates inside the arc, making 68.9 percent of his 2-point shots en route to a league-leading 66.9 percent field goal shooting mark.  Lubin is also the team leader in rebounding and does an excellent job on the offensive glass.

Guards Tre Holloman and Matt Able are State’s biggest contributors off the bench.  Both are good shooters, both overall and beyond the arc, where they shoot 41.1 percent and 36.0 percent, respectively.

How can the Orange get back into the win column?

Syracuse will be tasked with slowing down that extremely effective Wolfpack offense takes care of the ball in addition to shooting it well.  Even with Copeland’s relatively high number of miscues, N.C. State is in the top 15 in the country in offensive turnover rate.  The Orange have lost their hot start to conference play in 3-point defense, as their last four foes have hit 37.7 percent from long range.

SU will also need Naithan George to get over his recent turnover issues, as the ‘Pack does a good job of forcing turnovers.  They also protect the defensive glass very well, so working to get a shot attempt from each possession takes on a little extra importance for Syracuse.

The relative weakness of the North Carolina State is that they are close to average in field goal percentage allowed on both 2-pointers and 3-pointers.  While they did very well defending inside the arc in their last game against Pitt, each of their five previous opponents shot over 50 percent on 2-point shots.

The Wolfpack 3-point defense has been more volatile from game to game over the course of the season.  In their last three games, their opponents have shot 38.0 percent from beyond the arc.  The Orange should look to get more shots from their top perimeter shooters, Nate Kingz and Tyler Betsey, who combined for ten total field goal attempts in their last game.

Time is running out quickly on the season for SU if they want to stake a claim to any postseason berth.  The team needs to find their early season defensive urgency once more and run a more purposeful offense that takes advantage of the best strategies.  It is hard, however, to expect that to happen after the last couple weeks of play.

North Carolina State 77, Syracuse 68.

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