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NC State Basketball: 2022-23 season preview and outlook for the Wolfpack

By Cooper Watson

RALEIGH, NC - DECEMBER 22: Mr. Wuf, mascot of the North Carolina State Wolfpact. performs during a game against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies at PNC Arena on December 22, 2012 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC - DECEMBER 22: Mr. Wuf, mascot of the North Carolina State Wolfpact. performs during a game against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies at PNC Arena on December 22, 2012 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Bill Self of the Kansas Jayhawks (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

2022-23 schedule breakdown for NC State

NC State’s non-conference schedule has been objectively weak for several years now. The NCAA Tournament selection committee does an excellent job of rewarding teams that play difficult non-conference schedules, which has worked against NC State over the past few seasons.

NC State’s average non-conference strength of schedule over the last five seasons is No. 304 nationally. A failure to schedule quality non-conference games makes it a tough climb in ACC play to piece together an NCAA Tournament-quality resume.

Notably absent from NC State’s non-conference schedule this year is an ACC-B1G Challenge game. The Big Ten has 14 teams while the ACC has 15, so the last-place team in the ACC gets left out of the challenge the following year. That team this year is NC State.

Battle 4 Atlantis – November 23-25

With the above context in mind, NC State’s non-conference schedule should take at least a small bump this season. The Battle 4 Atlantis’ loaded field will be a major reason why.

Its first-round matchup will be against No. 5 Kansas, the defending champs. Its next game will be against either No. 24 Dayton or Wisconsin. The other side of the bracket features No. 11 Tennessee, USC, Butler, and BYU, one of whom will be NC State’s third game. That’s a guaranteed three quality non-conference games before December.

Furman – December 13, Home

Furman is the preseason favorite in the SoCon, coming in at No. 69 in KenPom’s preseason ratings. The Paladins have one of the top returning duos in the country with Jalen Slawson and Mike Bothwell. This could be a major trap game against a mid-major opponent that should not be overlooked.

Vanderbilt – December 17, Neutral

The Pack will travel to Chicago to take on Vanderbilt as a part of the Legends of Basketball Showcase. Vandy lost several key pieces this offseason, but it does return an experienced team with potentially its top seven rotation players all being upperclassmen. Not an easy game on a neutral court.

ACC schedule notes

NC State will play No. 1 North Carolina, No. 7 Duke, Miami, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, and Clemson twice each in ACC play.

Clearly, the UNC and Duke games will be challenging. It’s also worth mentioning that NC State’s last regular season game will be at Cameron Indoor on February 28.

The Clemson games will be difficult but winnable. Part of that also depends on PJ Hall’s health as Clemson’s best player.

Georgia Tech has one of the five worst ACC rosters of my lifetime, so that’s a good draw.

NC State will have to go on the road against No. 18 Virginia, Virginia Tech, and Syracuse, but it does get Florida State and Notre Dame in Raleigh.

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