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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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Kevin Keatts NC State Basketball (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
Kevin Keatts NC State Basketball (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

Overall outlook and expectations for NC State for 2022-23

Kevin Keatts is entering his sixth season as the head coach at NC State. The program has made just one NCAA Tournament in that span. Last year was arguably the worst season in program history, losing at least 20 games for the first time ever and finishing dead last in the ACC.

A question that has been floating around for a few years now: Do NC State fans have unrealistic expectations for the men’s basketball team?

After all, the program has struggled to maintain consistent success since the days of Norm Sloan and Jim Valvano. That said, NC State is one of just 11 programs with two national championships in the last 50 years. It also has 10 ACC Tournament titles, the third most of any school behind only Duke (21) and North Carolina (18).

Historically speaking, NC State is a basketball school. It feels fair for its fans to expect more than one NCAA Tournament appearance in five seasons. Keatts and this rebuilt squad have a chance to change that this season.

Terquavion Smith will be one of the three best players in the ACC and likely end up as a lottery pick, but NC State projects as a bubble team. It will need to start off well in non-conference play to end up on the right side of that bubble.

dark. Next. Top 100 returning players for 2022-23 season

The ACC could get up to eight teams in the NCAA Tournament this season, but the Pack will still have to outperform its preseason poll ranking (No. 10) to make it back to March Madness for the first time since 2018.

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