NC State basketball season preview 2024-25: Biggest games, key players to watch, predictions and more

NC State caught everyone by surprise last season, winning nine straight games in the ACC and NCAA tournaments to reach the Final Four. The Wolfpack's magical run was stopped in the Final Four by the Purdue Boilermakers to miss the trip to the national final.

This season, coach Kevin Keatts assembled a roster of seven returnees and six recruits from the transfer portal and the high school ranks. Here's a closer look into the program's 2924-25 college basketball season, featuring its biggest games and key players to watch out for.

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NC State's biggest games in the 2024-25 season

The Wolfpack will have a challenging non-conference schedule. They will compete in a mini-tournament in San Diego and host an SEC squad.

NC State meet either Purdue, BYU and Ole Miss in the 2024 Rady Children's Invitational tournament at the LionTree Arena on November 28-29. The first-day pairings will be announced at a later date.

The Pack faces Texas at the PNC Arena in the SEC/ACC Challenge five days later. It will be the fifth time the two programs meet. They are tied 2-2 in their all-time head-to-head.

NC State play their ACC counterparts in January, with the Wolfpack taking on North Carolina, Wake Forest and California in home and away games.

NC STATE'S	2024-25 ACC BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
Home and Away	North Carolina, Wake Forest, California
Home only	Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, SMU
Away only	Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech

The program will host Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh and SMU. The Pack will visit Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, Stanford, Syracuse, Virginia and Virginia Tech this season.

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Top NC State players to watch out for in the 2024-25 season

North Carolina State parades a 13-man roster determined to duplicate or surpass its Final Four finish in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Here are the three Wolfpack players fans should watch out for in the 2024-25 college basketball season.

#1. Jayden Taylor

NC State guard Jayden Taylor (Image Source: IMAGN)

Jayden Taylor is NC State's third-leading scorer from last season. The six-foot-four guard played 41 games for the Wolfpack and averaged 11.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

The transfer out of Butler is expected to be the team's top offensive option with DJ Horne, DJ Burns and Casey Morsell graduating from NC State.

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#2. Marcus Hill

NC State guard Marcus Hill (Image Source: https://bgsufalcons.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/marcus-hill/9851)

Marcus Hill is coming off a breakout season with Bowling Green. The Rockford, Illinois native tallied 20.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.0 steals per contest in 34 games last season.

Hill will provide scoring help for NC State, forming a fast backcourt duo with Taylor.

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#3. Paul McNeil

Paul McNeil is a four-star recruit out of Richmond Senior High School. The 6-5 Rockingham, North Carolina star, who can play shooting guard or small forward, dropped 71 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, six steals and two blocks to lead Richmond to a blowout win over Lee County.

He is expected to provide a solid wing presence for NC State as he can score and defend effectively.

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NC State's predictions for the 2024-25 season

NC State will remain a power in the ACC this coming season despite the departure of the program's top three scorers. The defending ACC Tournament champions can win 20-22 games in the regular season.

However, the strength of conference rivals like Duke and North Carolina would hamper their bid for back-to-back tournament titles. The team is expected to secure a tournament bid but they're unlikely to progress beyond the second round.

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Will NC State make a return trip to the Final Four? Let us know your views in the comments section.