The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1407083
TRACKING THE PACK 20 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ RED AND WHITE NOTEBOOK NC State has announced a potentially challeng- ing schedule for men's basketball this fall. The slate features three Power Five opponents, including two on neutral courts against participants in last year's NCAA Tournament — Oklahoma State and Purdue. The Pack will also host Nebraska in the annual ACC/ Big Ten Challenge. Purdue is the headliner of the group. The Boil- ermakers are No. 6 nationally in ESPN's preseason top-25 poll. Two more teams received automatic bids into the 2021 Big Dance via conference titles: Colgate from the Patriot League and Texas Southern from the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Both will make trips to Raleigh. Two more teams on the schedule played in the NIT last year — Louisiana Tech and Richmond, the former finishing third and coming to PNC Arena in November. NC State will face Richmond on a neutral court in Charlotte. Wright State, which will travel to Raleigh Dec. 22, was the co-champion of the regular season in the Horizon League but did not advance to postseason play after an upset loss in its conference tourna- ment. However, the Raiders figure to be among the top teams in their league this year. There will be one game in Reynolds Coliseum, a Dec.9 date against Bethune-Cookman. The season will open at PNC Arena against Bucknell Nov. 9. The ACC schedule is still to be released, but NC State knows it is playing home-and-homes with Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. It will also host Bos- ton College, Clemson, Syracuse and Virginia, and will play at Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami and Pittsburgh. Here is the full non-conference schedule for the Wolfpack: Nov. 9 vs. Bucknell Nov. 13 vs. Colgate Nov. 16 vs. Ctrl. Connecticut State (Uncasville, Conn.) Nov. 17 vs. Oklahoma State (Uncasville, Conn.) Nov. 21 vs. Texas Southern Nov. 27 vs. Louisiana Tech Dec. 1 vs. Nebraska (ACC/Big Ten Challenge) Dec. 9 vs. Bethune-Cookman (Reynolds Coliseum) Dec. 12 vs. Purdue (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Dec. 17 vs. Richmond (Charlotte) Dec. 22 vs. Wright State Kevin Keatts and his squad went 14-11 last year, but still finished with a winning record (9-8) in the ACC. PHOTO BY ETHAN HYMAN/NEWS & OBSERVER With hopes of a three-peat in the ACC and a Final Four appear- ance, NC State women's basket- ball coach Wes Moore has set up a daunting non-conference schedule that includes multiple high-profile contests. The season will open with a bang at Reynolds Coliseum in Ra- leigh when 2021 Final Four par- ticipant South Carolina comes to town. NC State defeated then-No. 1 South Carolina on the road last year. ESPN has the Gamecocks at No. 2 in its way-too-early top 25. ESPN ranked Maryland No. 5 in that countdown, and NC State will face the Terrapins Nov. 25 in the Bahamas as part of the Baha Mar Hoops event. It's one of two games there for NC State. It'll play Wash- ington State from the Pac-12 two days after Maryland. Upon returning from the Baha- mas, NC State will face a Sweet 16 rematch at Indiana as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The Hoo- siers are No. 7 in ESPN's rankings. The Wolfpack checks in at No. 8. NC State concludes its non- conference slate hosting Georgia, which lost to South Carolina in the SEC Tournament title game and made it to the sec- ond round of the NCAA Tournament. The Pack will also host four games as part of the Preseason WNIT at Reynolds, with the headliner among the opponents being 2021 WNIT participant Florida. Here is the full women's non-conference schedule: Nov. 9 vs. South Carolina Nov. 12 vs. Wofford (Preseason WNIT) Nov. 14 vs. Florida (Preseason WNIT) Nov. 15 vs. Towson (Preseason WNIT) Nov. 19 vs. Kansas State (Preseason WNIT) Nov. 25 vs. Maryland (Nassau, Bahamas) Nov. 27 vs. Washington State (Nassau, Bahamas) Dec. 2 at Indiana (ACC/Big Ten Challenge) Dec. 5 vs. Elon Dec. 12 vs. St. Mary's Dec. 16 vs. Georgia Men's Basketball Non-Conference Slate Revealed Women's Basketball's Non-Conference Schedule Features Marquee Showdowns Wes Moore's team has won two straight ACC titles. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS