NC State releases full 2017-18 men’s basketball schedule

NC State announced its full 2017-18 basketball schedule in conjunction with the ACC’s schedule release. Unsurprisingly, the Wolfpack’s non-conference schedule is extremely soft outside of the Battle 4 Atlantis games. You’ll find no strategic RPI scheduling here—it’s cupcakes all the way through, which is going to make for a very dull time at PNC Arena in November and December.

I’m actually a little bit surprised at how soft it is—I knew it was going to be a weak OOC slate, but dang, man. Excluding State’s Battle 4 Atlantis tournament and Big Ten-ACC Challenge obligations, NC State lined up nothing but buy games and almost every single one of these opponents is coming off a terrible season.

VMI, Charleston Southern, Bryant, Presbyterian, SC State, UMKC, UNCG, Robert Morris, Jacksonville: exactly one of these nine schools (UNCG) finished last year better than 200th in the Pomeroy Ratings. Four of them finished below 300th, with Presbyterian finishing next-to-last in D-I at No. 350.

There are plenty of challenges on the overall schedule, of course—gotta play those pesky 18 ACC games—but hoo buddy I can’t remember a more barf-worthy home slate in November/December. (Good season ticket plans still available!)

State opens league play with road trips to Clemson and Notre Dame before returning home to play Duke.

Home-and-homes: UNC-Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Clemson
Home-only games: Duke, Miami, Boston College, Florida State, Louisville
Road-only games: Virginia, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Georgia Tech