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NC State Basketball Quad Wins Tracker - 1/26/26 - Passing the first test

WELCOME BACK TO THE NC STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL QUAD TRACKER EXTRAORDINAIRE!


Our last update was after the Quad 2 win, nay, demolition, at FSU. Since then, NC State has played three additional ACC games:


  • vs Georgia Tech, Q3 loss, 78-74

  • @ #18 Clemson, Q1 win, 80-76

  • @ Pitt, Q2 win, 81-72


Starting from the top, NC State did the one thing I specifically told them not to do. Picking up Q3 or Q4 losses at this point in the season is something the Wolfpack can not afford. It's not a resume killer, but it would have really looked nice to avoid any and all blemishes going into Selection Sunday.


However, the Pack maintained its trajectory towards the predicted 12 ACC wins after notching its first Q1 win of the season as they took down Clemson. The Tigers were #18 at the time, so this marks Will Wade's first win over a ranked team since coming to NC State. And to do it on the road is even better. How's this for a stat?



At first glance, this seems great, and it is don't get me wrong. It just makes me sad how much futility there's been in the basketball program for 20 years such that winning a big game on the road felt like a near impossibility for so long. Six road ranked wins in 19(!) seasons is wild. So, I'm not going to be one of those people complaining about missteps in Wade's first year, the floor is already being lifted above the historically expected average.


Going on the road in the ACC felt like a roll of the dice, with wins coming few and far between. We've gone from celebrating road wins with ice cream, to NC State starting 4-0 on the road in the ACC for the first time since 1974(!!!!). Obviously, that year carries a lot of weight, but mostly it shows how this team is ahead of schedule on this Reckoning Rebuild, and how inconsistent the Wolfpack have been on the road for over a generation or two.


NC State is now sitting at 14-6 (5-2), in a three way tie for fourth in the conference standings, 2.5 games out of first place. They are right where they need to be for a top six finish. As frustrating as many moments have been while watching this team, as long as they keep their upward momentum, all their goals are ahead of them.



Let's get to the Quad Tracker update!


Some things have shifted slightly:

  • Seton Hall slide out of the top 50, making that a Q2 loss now. It was nice while it lasted.

  • The next game at home vs Syracuse has become a Q3 game, as the Orange have slid just out of the top 75 to 79 in the NET. The same rule applies as before: the Wolfpack simply can't afford to give up these lower quad games. It's great that they're winning on the road, but they're only 8-3 at home. Put this one in the "must-win" category.

  • It may be odd to see Wake Forest in the Q1 column, as they're 67 in the NET. This is the advantage of playing them on the road.

  • The games at Wake and SMU (33rd) are the last (as of now) Q1 opportunities against non-ranked opponents. These are the lowest hanging fruit available to get these coveted Q1 wins. Need to get these.





Special shout out to the AI slop image of the week. As with most AI images, it looks neat at first glance, then the more you look at it it feels like one of those "spot the differences" puzzles you did when you were a kid.



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