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Jan 27, 2025; Durham, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (1) drives against Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach (9) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 74-64. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

How Does Wolfpack Men's Basketball Match Up With Duke?

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Tucker Sennett | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Shortly after North Carolina State hired Will Wade, the coach boldly claimed that he expects to 'win right now' with the Wolfpack.

"I want to be very clear. This is not a rebuild. We’re going to be in the top part of the ACC next year, and we’re going to the NCAA tournament. Make sure you got that on camera. This is going to be done the right way, and it’s going to be done quickly. We are here to win," Wade said at his introductory press conference in March.

The top part of the ACC standings for men's basketball has looked about the same for the better part of a decade: NC State's two tobacco road rivals at the top, in Duke and North Carolina.

Duke, fresh off a shocking Final Four loss, lost several key contributors, including the first overall selection in the NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg. While the Blue Devils will still be competitive and likely elite, a question must be asked: Can NC State match up with the Blue Devils in 2025?

The Wolfpack Rebuild

It's the dawn of a new era in Raleigh and a brand new roster will take the court wearing the Wolfpack red come November.

Wade added transfers through the portal and earned the program a No. 14-ranked transfer class for the 2025-26 season per 247Sports.

The headliners of the class were Texas Tech forward Darrion Williams, who comes in with massive expectations to be an elite scorer, and North Carolina forward Ven-Allen Lubin, who will be the team's top front-court option.

Other important contributors added were a pair of guards Wade coached at McNeese, Quadir Copeland and Alyn Breed, intriguing FSU forward Jerry Deng, experienced Michigan State point guard Tre Holloman and former Houston guard Terrance Arceneaux.

The Wolfpack roster is loaded with experience.

Duke's Rebuild

The Blue Devils kept some key contributors from the 2024-25 team, but lost a bulk of the scoring to the NBA. The Boozer twins, Cayden and Cameron, will be the talk of the program as freshmen, given their fathers, Carlos's, status as a program legend.

Head coach Jon Scheyer will be relying on a handful of players from last season's roster to take a big step forward. Guard Caleb Foster will need to be a more consistent scorer in the coming season. Isaiah Evans has been tabbed as a top candidate for a breakout by many fans and analysts alike.

While the bottom won't fall out from underneath Duke, it's easy to see some regression taking place within the program.

The Matchup

As it stands today, NC State's experience likely trumps Duke's. However, it's unclear if that will be enough for Wade and his team to take down the Blue Devils in conference play.

In terms of predicting the matchup, it's hard to see a world where Williams' scoring prowess and Lubin's experience against Duke (scored 20 in ACC Tournament semifinal game) don't overpower the inexperienced Blue Devil team, at least in one of the games the two teams play.

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This article first appeared on NC State Wolfpack on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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