NC State Matches Best ACC Start in 20 Years After Win Over Syracuse

NC State continued its strong start to conference play on Tuesday night, improving to 6-2 in the ACC with an 88-68 win over Syracuse at the Lenovo Center.

The victory ties the Wolfpack’s best ACC start in the last 20 years, matching the 2005-06 team that opened conference play by winning eight of its first ten games.

That 2005-06 squad, led by Herb Sendek, went on to finish 10-6 in ACC play, earn a No. 4 seed in the ACC Tournament, and post a 22-10 overall record before falling in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. That team climbed as high as No. 13 in the national rankings and appeared in 15 AP Polls during the season.

If you need a refresher on that team, this moment might jog your memory…

Now, nearly two decades later, NC State finds itself in a familiar position near the top of the conference standings.

Where NC State Stands in the ACC

Following Tuesday’s win, the Wolfpack sit third in the ACC standings:

Duke: 8-0
Clemson: 7-1
NC State: 6-2

Virginia currently sits at 5-2, though the Cavaliers are locked in a tight battle at Notre Dame Tuesday night that has extended into a second overtime. Miami is also 5-2 and will host Stanford as a 9.5-point favorite tomorrow night.

Notably, NC State handed Clemson its only ACC loss of the season.

Preseason Expectations vs. Reality

Entering the season, NC State was picked to finish 4th in the ACC in the league’s official preseason poll.

1. Duke (34), 866
2. Louisville (15), 842
3. North Carolina, 741
4. NC State, 710
5. Virginia, 623
6. SMU, 616
7. Clemson, 510
8. Miami, 500
9. Syracuse, 489
10. Notre Dame, 477
11. Wake Forest, 412
12. Virginia Tech, 355
13. Georgia Tech, 315
14. Pitt, 301
15. Florida State, 221
16. California, 156
17. Stanford, 138
18. Boston College, 107

First-place votes in parentheses; 49 total voters

With the Wolfpack now sitting firmly in the top three of the conference, they’ve not only met expectations – they’ve exceeded them.

A Promising Start Under Will Wade

It’s still early in conference play, and as the saying goes, it’s how you finish, not how you start. But there’s no denying the significance of what NC State has accomplished so far.

Will Wade has the Wolfpack playing confident basketball, and the results show. A 6-2 start in ACC play marks the program’s best beginning since 2005-06 and positions NC State as a legitimate contender heading into the heart of conference season.

If nothing else, this start should put a smile on the face of Wolfpack fans who have been waiting a long time to see NC State back near the top of the ACC standings