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ACC Basketball: Ranking all 18 programs after additions of Stanford, Cal, and SMU

By Tristan Freeman

Feb 5, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach Jerod Haase during the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 5, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach Jerod Haase during the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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NC State Basketball
ACC Basketball Kevin Keatts of the North Carolina State Wolfpack (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

8. NC State Wolfpack

They’re not anywhere near the level of a Duke or North Carolina but the Wolfpack do have its fair share of history as an NCAA Basketball. They have a pair of national titles decades ago, along with a trio of Sweet 16 appearances in the past 20 years. But the program has struggled to make the Big Dance as of late, making it just twice in the past eight years.

Coach Kevin Keatts has certainly had his ups and downs for the past five years but is coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance. That’ll calm down the “hot seat” talk for a little bit but who knows how long he is for the job long-term.

The Wolfpack still has plenty of history to sell, though it may not be as appealing towards the younger crowd who wasn’t around for the late Coach Jim Valvano days. However, they’re in North Carolina, and for recruits/transfers that might not be good enough to play for the two blue blood neighbors, this is definitely a viable option for those who want to stay local.

The ceiling for NC State remains high as a program that can get into the top tier regularly. They just have to start showing it on an annual basis. And that comes down to the coaching side of this situation and whether Keatts can do it.