N.C. State Wolfpack
Record: 20-13, 10-8 in the ACC
Head coach: Mark Gottfried (4th season)
Season summary: Best way to describe the Wolfpack—inconsistent. On its resume, N.C. State has losses to Wofford, Miami and Boston College, all defeats the Wolfpack should have easily avoided given their talent. But at the same time, N.C. State won by 12 at home against Duke and went on the road to take down Louisville and North Carolina. The Wolfpack handed the Blue Devils their first loss of the season, but are coming off a stinging 77-53 defeat to Duke in the semifinals of the ACC tournament.
Led by guards Trevor Lacey, Ralston Turner Anthony "Cat" Barber, N.C. State has one of the more formidable backcourts in the nation, as the dynamic trio combines to average 41.1 points 11.0 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game. If the Wolfpack guards get going from the perimeter, N.C. State can play with anyone in the country.
How they make a run: Lacey and Barber catch fire from the perimeter and the Wolfpack big men—shot-block specialist BeeJay Anya and Abdul-Malik Abu—hold their own in the paint.
How they falter: N.C. State's streaky nature catches up to it when the Wolfpack can't get their jumpers to fall—Barber's lingering injury concerns and the team's inconsistencies cause another early-round exit.
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