So far, so good for the NC State men’s basketball team.
The Wolfpack is 6-0, and apart from a 4-point victory over Mercer in PNC Arena Saturday, the Pack hasn’t had to sweat much out. NC State’s average margin of victory through six games is 33 points, and it was 38.8 points before the tough battle against Mercer.
While the Pack has looked to hit its stride early this year, it hasn’t exactly come against the best competition the country has to offer. In fact, the Wolfpack has played the easiest schedule in the country according to KenPom Ratings, and it isn’t particularly close.
NC State’s strength of schedule to this point ranks 353rd out of the 353 NCAA Division I teams, and with a strength of schedule rating of -17.39, the Pack’s schedule is over a point easier than the next easiest schedule in the country.
It’s early, and every team plays easy games early, but the Wolfpack’s schedule so far is even more extreme than most. However, that might be a good thing for an NC State team that returns only three guys from last year’s roster.
“We have a new group of guys,” head coach Kevin Keatts said. “We have only three guys that wore NC State uniforms and some of these things have helped us. I think all of the games will help us. As the schedule goes on, I think we will see some tougher competition, but I’ve liked the teams that we have played and what we have gotten out of it.
The Wolfpack’s first six opponents had an average KenPom Rating of just 293.17, with the first four all being worse than 300. At 177th, Mercer has been the Pack’s toughest opponent to date.
However, that all changes this week for NC State as the Pack is about to hit a stretch of five games that includes four matchups against Power 5 teams. It starts Tuesday on the road at Wisconsin, who is ranked No.25 in the AP poll and No. 13 in the country by KenPom.
After Wisconsin the Pack will take on Vanderbilt, Western Carolina, Penn State and Auburn. The average KenPom of those five teams is 89.8, but if you throw out the annual Heritage Game in Reynolds Coliseum against Western Carolina, the average rating of those four Power 5 teams is 31.25.
It will be a huge jump in competition for a relatively young and unfamiliar NC State team, moving from the country’s easiest schedule to a formidable stretch of games that will be capped off by a consensus top-10 Auburn team. However, it’s a jump the Pack is anxious for.
“Every game is exciting, and we love to play basketball,” redshirt senior Torin Dorn said. “But those games are definitely something you come to college for. We want to play against teams of that caliber, so we’re definitely excited as a team for those challenges.”
There’s nothing wrong with playing easy games early on in a season, but now it’s time for the Pack to show what it really is as a team. With seven new faces taking the court to start the season, NC State has looked good against its cake-walk early schedule.
Now though, the Wolfpack has the opportunity to prove itself on a bigger stage, and show what this still very new NC State team really is.
