NC State Aims to Bounce Back Against ACC Newcomer California

RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State men’s basketball team will host ACC newcomer California on Saturday evening at the Lenovo Center, aiming to recover from a recent two-game losing streak. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., with the game televised on the ACC Network.

The Wolfpack (9-8, 2-4 ACC) is coming off a heartbreaking 79-76 loss to Virginia Tech on Wednesday, where they squandered a 15-point second-half lead. The loss snapped their 15-game winning streak when scoring at least 70 points. Key players for NC State include senior guard DJ Hill, who leads the team with an average of 13.2 points per game, and Ben Middlebrooks, who ranks second in the ACC with 26 blocks this season.

California (1-5 ACC), under second-year head coach Mark Madsen, has struggled in conference play but features standout sophomore Andrej Stojakovic, a former McDonald’s All-American averaging 19.5 points per game. Stojakovic, a transfer from Stanford, has been a bright spot for the Golden Bears, scoring 30 points in a recent game against Clemson.

NC State’s ability to control turnovers will be critical. The team leads the ACC and ranks 12th nationally in fewest turnovers per game (9.6). Meanwhile, California ranks second in the ACC in offensive rebounds (12.8 per game), posing a challenge for the Wolfpack’s defense.

This marks the third all-time meeting between the two programs, with NC State winning both previous NCAA Tournament matchups. The last encounter was in 2006, when the Wolfpack defeated California 58-52 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

With four of their last five games decided by one possession, NC State is in desperate need of a win to stay competitive in the ACC. California, on the other hand, is looking to build momentum after a rocky start to their conference schedule.