Could NC State’s Hot Shooting Against Wake Forest Turn the Tide on Historically Poor Numbers?

At the heart of NC State’s 83-75 victory over Wake Forest on Saturday was their field goal percentage: the Wolfpack shot 50% from the field.

Shooting well has been a rarity for NC State this season. Prior to Saturday’s game, the Wolfpack had shot under 40% in five of their last six games, under 41% in seven of the last eight, and under 44% in eight of the last nine.

Over the year, NC State is shooting 43.2%, ranking 17th in the ACC and 272nd nationally.

It’s challenging to win basketball games when you struggle to make shots.

To put things in perspective, NC State’s 43.2% shooting percentage this year is the second-lowest for the Pack since the 2000-01 season. The poorest shooting season for NC State during this period was in 2021-22, when the team shot 41.3%.

NC State’s Worst Single-Season Field Goal Percentage Performances Since 2000-01:

• 41.3% – 2021-22
• 43.2% – 2024-25
• 43.3% – 2015-16
• 43.4% – 2009-10
• 43.6% – 2014-15
• 43.9% – 2010-11
• 43.9% – 2000-01

If the season were to end today, the two worst shooting seasons for NC State in the past 25 years would both have occurred under the leadership of Kevin Keatts.

Here’s hoping that the Wolfpack found their shooting touch on Saturday against the Demon Deacons. If so, they have a great opportunity to add more W’s to Win column.