Previewing Syracuse’s Quad 1 opportunity at NC State
In NC State’s first season under head coach Will Wade, it has already matched its ACC win total from a year ago. Leonardo Eriman | Staff Photographer
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Taking on NC State presents Syracuse with its first Quad 1 opportunity in nearly two months. The Orange last faced a Quad 1 opponent on Dec. 2, 2025, in then-No. 13 Tennessee. In Raleigh, SU can build on its resume.
The Orange are desperate for a bounce back. Syracuse has dropped three straight games in Atlantic Coast Conference play, falling under .500 for the first time since its 0-1 start. Amid its three-game losing streak, SU was upset on the road at Boston College and fell twice at home to Virginia Tech and Miami in Quad 2 games.
The Wolfpack are 5-2 in ACC play and convincingly defeated nonconference teams VCU, Boise State and Ole Miss. It’s their first year under Will Wade, who has returned back to Power Four coaching after his firing at LSU in 2022 and an impressive stint with McNeese State.
Here’s everything to know about NC State (14-6, 5-2 ACC) before it faces Syracuse (12-8, 3-4 ACC) Tuesday in Raleigh:
All time series
Syracuse leads 15-7.
Last time they played
On Feb. 26, 2025, Syracuse posted one of its most impressive performances of the year to take down NC State 74-60. The Orange led by 13 points at halftime and continued to dominate from wire to wire to cement their place in the ACC Tournament a few weeks later.
In the contest, guard J.J. Starling dropped a team-high 17 points while center Eddie Lampkin Jr. emerged with 14 points and 15 rebounds — his 12th double-double of the season. SU’s defense held the Wolfpack to 2-of-13 3-point shooting in the first half as it built a lead. The win over NC State broke Syracuse’s three-game losing streak and was its only win in six games from Feb. 11 to March 4.
KenPom Odds
Syracuse has a 18% chance of winning, with a projected score of 81-71.
The Wolfpack report
In Wade’s first season in Raleigh, the Wolfpack have at times looked like one of the top teams in the conference. A road win over Clemson on Jan. 20 added to NC State’s resume, and it continues to climb as a gauntlet awaits.
Wade brought former Syracuse guard Quadir Copeland with him from McNeese to NC State, and he’s emerged as the Wolfpack’s leading scorer at 14.1 points per game. The duo built a remarkable run with the Cowboys last season, making March Madness for the fourth time ever and defeating Clemson in the first round.
Copeland, as the Energizer Bunny, stars alongside Texas Tech transfer Darrion Williams. Williams joined the Wolfpack, regarded as one of the best players in the country and helped Texas Tech reach the Elite Eight in his junior campaign. Wade retained sophomore Paul McNeil Jr. and added Ven-Allen Lubin from North Carolina and Tre Holloman from Michigan State.
McNeil has proven an ability to be a top scorer when needed, scoring 47 points on 11 3s against Texas Southern. Lubin is the glue that holds the squad together, averaging 13.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
The Wolfpack rank fourth in the ACC in points per game (85.3) and have scored fewer than 70 points just once. Their 56.5% effective field goal rating ranks 29th in the country per KenPom, and they shoot 39.4% from 3. On defense, NC State’s 100.4 defensive adjusted efficiency is 38th in the nation.
How Syracuse beats NC State
Syracuse returns to the win column by returning to its potent defensive identity and maximizing it. The Orange’s defense was what made their game against Houston in Las Vegas a nail-biter. Since ACC play began, SU has moved away from its defensive wrecking, allowing teams to thrive offensively.
NC State is one of the best offenses the Orange will play all season, and without a monumental defensive switch, they won’t be able to slow down the Wolfpack’s multiple options.
Stat to know: 5
Despite playing just seven games in ACC play thus far, the Wolfpack have already tied their conference win total (five) from a season ago. The year prior, in the 2023-24 season, NC State miraculously ran the table in the ACC Tournament as the No. 10 seed to earn an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack carried the momentum all the way to the Final Four.
NC State then produced a major fall from grace, going just 5-15 in the ACC and missing the conference tournament entirely in the first year of a reduced tournament. Head coach Kevin Keats lost his job, and the Wolfpack turned to Wade, who has already proven to rejuvenate the program.
Player to watch: Darrion Williams, forward, No. 1
After transferring from Texas Tech, Williams was named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year. The accolade upped the pressure on the senior forward, and he’s helped the Wolfpack excel in a different avenue than expected.
Williams is averaging 13.9 points per game, less than his mark with the Red Raiders a season ago. His reduced offensive production led Wade to go off on a reporter a few weeks ago when asked whether the head coach was concerned about Williams’ recent stretch of inefficiency. Still, the Sacramento, California, native has dropped 20 or more points in four games this year and could pop off at any time if the Orange don’t contain him.
