Can NC State’s men make the ACC Tournament? A win Wednesday would help
N.C. State remains on the bubble of making the ACC Tournament, teetering on missing the postseason, despite two recent wins.
Senior guard Breon Pass said after the team lost to Louisville he was worried about making the field. Almost two weeks later, N.C. State is in a better position. Its tournament hopes do not remain solely in the hands of other programs — though losses from teams at the bottom of the standings would help — and the Wolfpack has opportunities to earn one of the final spots.
The team’s next game against Syracuse (11-16, 5-11 ACC) features postseason implications for both teams.
A Wolfpack (11-16, 4-12 ACC) win over the Orange would tie the two programs at 5-12 in ACC play, but N.C. State would hold the head-to-head.
Similarly, Boston College has won two in a row — Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech — but the Pack features a win over the Eagles.
“It’s an important game for multiple reasons,” N.C. State coach Kevin Keatts said Monday. “It’s the game following a significant win against Wake Forest. The team wants to finish the regular season with strong performances, something it didn’t do last season. And, there’s a lot on the line when it comes to ACC Tournament hopes.”
That’s how Syracuse coach Aidan Aughtry feels, too. His team has lost two straight and seven of its last nine, including a seven-point loss to last-place Miami (6-21, 2-14).
“When you’re trying to talk about making an ACC Tournament, you’re talking about winning a game,” Autry. said. “We organically talk about preparing for the next opponent and winning the game. … Everyone knows what’s at stake; the implications.”
Autry.said he was in situations as a player where teams had to “stay up” to make the postseason or playoffs — notably during his professional career in Europe — so he’s used to it.
Keatts wishes every team could make the ACC Tournament and would like to see March Madness expand to “80-something” teams.
“The decision is way above my head. I’ll leave that up to the decision makers. We just have to try to put ourselves in a situation to try to get there,” Keatts said. “I don’t know where (the rule) came from. If it was voted by the coaches, I don’t remember ever voting for it. I would love for everybody to have a chance, because, if that was the case last year, then there may not have been an N.C. State story. At the end of the day, I think everybody should go, but that’s above me.”
The ACC announced last February the tournament would remain at 15 teams, despite adding California, Stanford and SMU. This was decided at the conference’s winter meetings, which the conference’s athletic directors; key administrators; and the league board, comprised of its member institutions’ presidents and chancellors.
Autry.said he hasn’t put much thought into whether it should be open to the entire league or have 16 for balance.
“We just want to, I want to concentrate on playing the best basketball that we can play these last four games, and try to be in the tournament,” Autry.said.
The only way for Syracuse — or several ACC teams — to make the NCAA Tournament is to win the championship and automatic bid.
With four games left on the schedule, Syracuse’s schedule includes games at SMU and at Virginia Tech. It also has one final home game against Virginia. At the time of publication, SMU is 11-5 at home and Virginia Tech is 7-7.
N.C. State, meanwhile, finishes the season with contests at Georgia Tech and Miami and a home game versus Pitt. The Yellow Jackets are 7-9 in conference play with losses to Syracuse, Boston College and Notre Dame. The Pack has head-to-head wins over the Eagles and Irish. Getting another win boosts the resume and helps in tiebreaker scenarios.
“I think our guys understand that part of it,” Keatts said, “but we want to try to build some momentum.”
This story was originally published February 24, 2025 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Can NC State’s men make the ACC Tournament? A win Wednesday would help."
