23. NC State (4-0)
The expectations with Will Wade’s arrival at NC State were that this program would be in a better situation in the long term. The short term hasn’t been too bad either, as the Wolfpack are off to a perfect start in their first season. While this team hasn’t necessarily faced the toughest challenges, they did make easy work of a talented UAB squad a few weeks ago and just kept winning this week.
Their lone test was way back on Monday as NC State won 85-79 at home over VCU. While not their best game in the early going, the Wolfpack found a way to get the job done with another solid offensive performance. Darrion Williams showcased his immense talent with a 28-point, 7-rebound performance while Tre Holloman added 25 points himself in the win.
Regardless of how you look at things, NC State has four wins they deserved already under their belt. These new pieces like Williams and Holloman came with high expectations and are delivering early, though we’ve yet to really see this team properly tested. Next week casts some light on the Wolfpack as they head to the Maui Invitational, beginning Monday against Seton Hall. A few weeks from now we’ll certainly know a lot more about Wade’s crew.