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Feb 28, 2026; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Jeremy Dent-Smith (25) during the second half against the Southern Methodist University Mustangs at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Stanford's Huge Opportunity Against NC State

Originally posted on Stanford Cardinal on SI
By Lucca Mazzie | Last updated Mar 7, 2026 10:00 AM ET

Over the past few weeks, the Stanford Cardinal have slowly built themselves back into a genuine bubble team. With recent wins over Pitt, SMU, and Notre Dame, the Cardinal are beginning to prove themselves on a national stage.

However, they have a tough test to end the regular season against NC State before conference tournament play begins. This will be one of the Cardinal’s biggest games in recent history with a potential spot in the NCAA tournament on the line.

Stanford is currently 19-11, sitting at 8-9 in ACC play. Their biggest wins have come against North Carolina, Louisville, St. Louis, and SMU. But they will have to play NC State on the road, a tough team as well. Heading into this one, the Wolfpack are ranked No. 34 in the NET ratings, making this a huge opportunity for the Cardinal.

NC State is coming into the game also at 19-11, but is 10-7 in the ACC, ranking a few spots ahead of the Cardinal in the conference standings. While the season hasn’t completely gone their way, the Wolfpack have some great wins.

Clemson, Florida State, SMU, and North Carolina are their top wins, with three of four of those coming on the road. The outlier is North Carolina, which was a dominant win at home a few weeks ago.

NC State will bring the boom

Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

The Wolfpack have a great roster consisting of tons of talent that just hasn’t completely come together consistently this season. Their top player is Darrion Williams, a transfer in from Texas Tech, that has done a solid job at being the Wolfpack’s star. He is putting up 14.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game.

Quadir Copeland, a transfer from McNeese, is averaging 13.6 points and 6.8 assists per game, leading his team. Ven-Allen Lubin, a transfer from rival North Carolina, is averaging 13.6 points and 7.0 rebounds a night.

Even players such as Paul McNeil Jr. and Tre Holloman are consistent players for the Wolfpack this season. It’s clear that NC State doesn’t have one true star, but many that can compete on any given night. Those teams can prove to be dangerous, with so many options ready to step up.

How Stanford stacks up

Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Stanford is led by star freshman Ebuka Okorie , who is putting up 22.8 points per game, ranking fifth in the country in scoring. The Cardinal also have players such as Benny Gealer, Jeremy Dent-Smith, and Aidan Cammann, who can go off and provide a complementary second scoring option on any given night.

Over the past two games, Gealer and Dent-Smith have traded nights where they have been the star of the show. That’s been the story of Stanford basketball this season, and it's worked more often than not.

NC State comes in as a surprising favorite, given a 82.9% chance to win per ESPN analytics.

The Cardinal have won three games in a row, showcasing tons of momentum. NC State though, has lost three in a row, including five of their last six. In addition, the Wolfpack are much better known as road dogs rather than a great team at home. That creates an opening for Stanford to attack, which may just go their way.

In one of the biggest games of the season for both teams, each will be competing for a spot higher on the bubble.

This article first appeared on Stanford Cardinal on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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