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National Expert Ranks NC State Basketball Above Rival UNC

Originally posted on NC State Wolfpack on SI
By Matt Giles | Last updated May 27, 2025 6:00 PM ET

First-year NC State basketball head coach Will Wade added a centerpiece talent via the portal last week by reeling in former Texas Tech star forward Darrion Williams, marking the Wolfpack's seventh transfer prize to go along with four incoming freshmen from the recruiting trail.

"I think they're a top 25 preseason team after this addition," The Field of 68's Rob Dauster said on Tuesday morning about the Williams-related bump in NC State basketball stock.

Sure enough, Dauster backed up his praise for the Wolfpack by placing the 2025-26 NC State basketball squad in his top 25 just a few hours later, albeit as the last team in at No. 25.

@RobDauster’s latest Preseason Top 25

Who should be No. 1 overall?

WATCH:https://t.co/mV8BgpZftI pic.twitter.com/xjntja2OJj
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) May 27, 2025

Meanwhile, it's worth noting that NC State's Tobacco Road rival, UNC, is absent from Dauster's top 25 entirely. And he's not alone in questioning the Tar Heels' roster strength for next season, as fifth-year head coach Hubert Davis lost most of his best players from last season and hasn't landed a transfer ranked higher than No. 36 this offseason.

In Dauster's eyes, the Wolfpack stacks up third in the ACC. He ranks Louisville at No. 5 and Duke at No. 8.

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

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