GAMEDAY: NC State vs. FSU | Keys to the game & How to Watch

NC State Wolfpack @. Florida State Seminoles

Time: 12 Noon | Saturday, Jan 10th, 2026

Location: Tallahassee, Florida

TV: ACC Network

Line: NC State -5.5

Keys to the Game: 

– Florida State has lost 7 of its last 9 games, with their only wins vs. Mississippi Valley State and Jacksonville. This is a team that’s really struggling right now, but it’s also a team that only lost to Duke by 4 last time out. They have talent, and it’s on their home courts, so this is going to be a battle, no matter what the stats say.

– Speaking of the stats, let’s look at the advanced metrics. NC State is ranked 31st, while FSU is ranked 110th. The Pack is 36th nationally in offensive efficiency and 50th in defensive efficiency. Florida State is 110th and 120th.

– For NC State, the big thing to watch is how Darrion Williams comes out. He finally broke his slump last game vs. BC with a 22 point performance. Will Wade didn’t mince words yesterday when he made it clear that he wants Williams and Copeland touching the ball the most, but split mostly evenly. There have been games where Copeland has been too ball-dominant and NC State has lost those games. But when the usage is split, NC State wins. Here is the quote and the proof.

– Also, something to watch for is how Terrance Arceneaux and Matt Able perform. Both guys showed signs of life vs. BC, and Wade hopes that’s a sign of things to come. Paul McNeil has been great, but having two more shot makers coming off your bench is huge, especially when one of those guys is your team’s best defender.

– FSU has 3 guys averaging double figures, but the main guy is going to be 6’4 senior Robert McCray V. He’s an all-around pretty good guard who shoots 45% from the floor and 30% from 3. He’s not a huge deep threat, but is an elite distributor, 2nd in the ACC in assists (just behind Boopie Miller). NC State is going to really want to bottle him up and keep him out of the lane.

– FSU isn’t great on the boards defensively, but they are a good offensive rebounding team. NC State needs to keep them off the glass! To do this you may see them give McCray the Melvin Council Jr (Kansas) treatment. Going under screens, keeping him out of the lane, giving him 3s, but also keeping a guy sunk a bit to help with offensive rebounders crashing.

Game Notes via NC State Media Relations

– The Pack improved to 2-1 in league play – and won its first road game since Feb. 2024 – with a 79-71 win at Boston College on Tuesday night.

– NC State led for more than 37 minutes and never trailed after a 5–4 deficit early, building a first-half lead as large as 13. The Pack’s advantage was trimmed to 56–53 with 9:46 remaining, but a 6–0 run created some separation, and the Eagles never got closer than seven the rest of the way.

– NC State played nine players in the win, and all nine players contributed at least four points in the victory.

– Darrion Williams led NC State with 22 points. It was Williams’ first 20-point performance since he had 28 in the win over VCU on Nov. 17. Williams leads the Pack in at 14.3 points per game and has shooting splits of 45.4/42.5/75.8 while maintaining a 2.4 (48 assists/20 turnovers) assist-to-turnover ratio.

– Quadir Copeland was held to single digits for just the second time in the last eight games, but still led NC State with a season-high 10 assists and also had a team-best three steals. Over the last 10 games, Copeland is averaging 15.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 56.3 percent (54-of-96) from the field. The Philadelphia, Pa., has led the Pack in scoring in five of the last 10 games, in assists in nine of the last 10 games and in steals in five of the last 10 games.

– Copeland’s final season of eligibility is proving to be his best. The Philadelphia, Pa., native had never averaged double figures in a season prior to this year but is currently averaging 13.8 points per game. His current field goal percentage (56.6%) and three-point percentage (51.7%) would both be career bests. After entering the season having made just 16 three-pointers in 87 career games, Copeland has already knocked down 15 triples in 16 games this year. His 6.1 assists per game are also a career high, and his better than 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio would likewise mark the best of his career.

– The Pack shot a season-best 59.1 percent from three-point range in the win over the Eagles, making 13 of its 22 attempts. NC State leads the ACC and ranks 17th in the nation in three-point percentage at 38.9 percent.