Defending ACC champion NC State Wolfpack releases full men’s basketball schedule

N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts promised, promised, last week that the Wolfpack men’s basketball schedule in its entirety would be released Tuesday.

Some of the Pack’s nonconference games were known before Tuesday. The Pack will play Kansas on Dec. 14 at historic Allen Fieldhouse. It has a game against Purdue in San Diego, a rematch of their Final Four game. It faces Texas at home in the ACC/SEC Challenge.

Earlier, the ACC announced the 2023-24 ACC champions — that has a nice ring to it for Wolfpack fans — will open conference play Saturday, Dec. 7 against Florida State at the Lenovo Center.

But the rest of the Wolfpack’s nonconference slate was not known until Tuesday, when the ACC announced its full conference schedule and the Pack filled in the rest. The trip to Kansas won’t be easy, but Keatts realized the importance of such games come with the selections for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

“I’ve said it before, if we have opportunities to start great home-and-homes with programs we would do that, and it presented itself us to play Kansas,” Keatts said “Our guys get a chance early to play in that atmosphere. I think it’s a good deal for us and we’re excited about it.”

Some of the stars of the Pack’s dazzling ACC tournament and NCAA Final Four runs are gone — D.J. Burns, D.J. Horne, Casey Morsell. But some remain, including guard Michael O’Connell, whose last-second 3-pointer against Virginia in the ACC Tournament semifinals keyed it all.

It will be Keatts’ eighth season as head coach. It also will be one where new basketball banners are raised at the Lenovo Center.

NC State’s can’t-miss basketball game

The Wolfpack lost twice to North Carolina in the regular season last year, then won the big one: the ACC Tournament championship game in Washington, D.C.

The Pack had not cut down the nets in the ACC tournament since 1987, when the late Jim Valvano was the coach, but did at Capital One Arena after winning a stunning five games in five days.

Any State-Carolina game is can’t-miss and the two will play Jan. 11 in Raleigh and Feb 19 at Chapel Hill. Circle those two.

Trap game alert

It could be the SMU game Jan. 25 at the Lenovo Center. It will have a noon start and will be two days before the Pack goes to Durham to face Duke. SMU went 20-13 last season.

Toughest stretch for NC State

It could be the end of the regular season. Three of the last four regular-season games are on the road — Syracuse, Georgia Tech and Miami. Tough way to go into the ACC Tournament.

Easiest stretch for NC State

There won’t be any easy stretches in ACC play so the beginning of the season could be the easiest with early games against USC Upstate, Presbyterian, Coastal Carolina and Colgate. The Pack should breeze through these games.

NC State’s basketball’s non-conference tests

Ever been to Lawrence, Kansas, and played the Jayhawks in Phog Allen Fieldhouse? It’s quite the experience — usually a losing one for the visitors — and one the Pack will have this season. It has the same historic feel of a Reynolds Coliseum or Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Keatts said the Jayhawks could be ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the country when the Pack plays there, smiling and adding of the scheduling, “What was I thinking?”

That should be the Pack’s biggest nonconference test, although N.C. State also has the Purdue and Texas games coming up. The Boilermakers, who stopped the Wolfpack in the 2024 NCAA semifinals before losing to UConn, won’t have 7-4 center Zach Edey roaming the middle this time.

NC State basketball schedule

+ Rady Children’s Invitational, San Diego.

^ ACC/SEC Challenge

# Reynolds Coliseum Heritage Game

* ACC games

! Spectrum Center, Charlotte