NC State Faces Seton Hall in Historic Maui Invitational Matchup

LAHAINA, HI – The 25th-ranked NC State men’s basketball team is set to participate in the Maui Invitational for the first time in program history on Monday, taking on Seton Hall at 2:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

NC State enters the matchup with a perfect 4-0 record after a narrow 85-79 victory over VCU. The Wolfpack trailed just once during that game, but VCU tied the score at 65 points with just over nine minutes left. NC State responded with a six-point run that secured their lead.

Leading scorer Terquavion Smith starred in the win against VCU, netting 28 points on 9-of-15 shooting. His impressive performance marks the third time he has led the Pack in scoring this season. Smith’s contributions also set a pace rarely seen since Rodney Monroe’s era, scoring 93 points across the first four games—a program record since Monroe’s 1990-91 season.

Additionally, NC State’s offensive game has been strong, averaging 100.8 points per contest and shooting 53.8 percent from the field thus far. The team leads the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in three-pointers per game and field goal percentage, with an effective field goal percentage of 64.6 percent.

This matchup also features an interesting storyline, as Seton Hall’s sophomore guard Alexis Yetna previously signed with NC State before his transfer. He averaged 4.6 points last season for the Wolfpack and had standout performances, including a 15-point game at Duke.

NC State head coach Will Wade expressed his excitement about the opportunity, stating, “It’s a great tournament and a cool experience for our players.” Wade previously took LSU to the Maui Invitational in 2017.

Historically, NC State’s record against Seton Hall stands at three wins each, making this game significant for both teams. Their last encounter resulted in a 94-83 loss for NC State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2018.