Ken Pomeroy’s preseason hoops ratings for 2026 went live on Sunday, the surest sign that the season is around the corner. NC State begins the year at No. 38, which is a lot higher than where it finished the 2025 season—at No. 125.
That’s good enough for fifth in the ACC pecking order, behind (in order) Duke, Louisville, Clemson, and UNC. Clemson and UNC also are ranked in the 30s, so we’re not talking about a big difference here. KenPom projects State to have a top-40 offense and a top-40 defense, and finish 19-10 (11-7). That record does not include the two games in Maui that haven’t been determined yet.
NC State’s preseason slotting in the Pomeroy Ratings is nearly identical to its spot in T-Rank (39), though Torvik’s system likes the offense to be better and the defense to be worse. Evan Miya’s ratings have NC State at No. 27, one spot ahead of UNC.