NC State Ranks 24th in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early 2025-26 Men’s Basketball Preseason Top-25

ESPN updated their Way-Too-Early 2025-26 Men’s Basketball Preseason Top-25 today, and they ranked NC State 24th.

1. Purdue Boilermakers   

2. Florida Gators   

3. Houston Cougars   

4. UConn Huskies

5. St. John’s Red Storm

6. BYU Cougars

7. Louisville Cardinals

8. Michigan Wolverines   

9. Kentucky Wildcats   

10. Texas Tech Red Raiders

11. Arkansas Razorbacks   

12. Duke Blue Devils

13. Arizona Wildcats

14. Auburn Tigers   

15. UCLA Bruins

16. Illinois Fighting Illini

17. Alabama Crimson Tide

18. Iowa State Cyclones

19. Gonzaga Bulldogs

20. Wisconsin Badgers

21. Kansas Jayhawks

22. Creighton Bluejays

23. Tennessee Volunteers

24. NC State Wolfpack

25. North Carolina Tar Heels

Here’s what they had to say about the Wolfpack:

24. NC State Wolfpack

Previous ranking: 24

Will Wade: Darrion Williams would have been the player honors pick, but if the Wolfpack go from a 12-win season to a Top 25 campaign, as we’re predicting, Wade will be a strong Coach of the Year candidate. He did a tremendous job rebuilding the roster via the transfer portal and also signing a pair of ESPN 100 recruits, and he has shown at previous stops that he’s not the type to take a year before turning around a program.

Projected starting lineup

Tre Holloman (9.1 PPG at Michigan State)
Terrance Arceneaux (6.5 PPG at Houston)
Quadir Copeland (9.2 PPG at McNeese)
Darrion Williams (15.1 PPG at Texas Tech)
Ven-Allen Lubin (8.7 PPG at North Carolina)

(ESPN)