NC State-Wake Forest Tipoff Moved to Noon Due to Weather Concerns

The ACC announced today that NC State’s road matchup against Wake Forest in Winston-Salem will now tip off at noon, moved up from its original 3:45 p.m. start time due to the threat of inclement weather.

The game was initially scheduled to air on The CW, but with the adjusted start time, updated broadcast information has not yet been announced.

NC State at Noon: A Mixed Bag

NC State has played four games this season with a noon tip, posting a 3–1 record in those contests:

Wake Forest – 70-57 (W)
at Florida State – 113-69 (W)
Georgia Tech – 78-74 (L)
at Pitt – 81-72 (W)

While the record is solid, the performances themselves have been uneven.

The loss to Georgia Tech stands as NC State’s worst loss of the season, and the road win at Pitt was far closer than expected. In that game, the Panthers controlled the tempo for much of the afternoon and dominated the glass, grabbing 26 offensive rebounds that turned into 24 second-chance points – the most NC State has allowed in a game in at least 15 years (that’s as far as I could track the data).

Early Starts Have Tested the Pack

Although NC State has found ways to win at noon, the early starts have not always been clean or sharp. Slow starts, defensive lapses, and rebounding issues have shown up more frequently in these games than in later tipoffs.

That doesn’t mean the Wolfpack can’t handle an early start – but it does mean attention to detail will matter even more on Saturday.

Or, as some might say…
an extra cup of coffee or energy drink might be required.