NC State is No. 50 in the initial NET rankings

Truly it is the most wonderful time of the year—because the first edition of the NET rankings have arrived! Not that I need to remind you, as you surely have been counting down the hours like a kid waiting impatiently for a gift giving ceremony of some kind.

NC State is No. 50 in the initial rankings, which is good for fourth-highest among ACC teams. Duke (13), Florida State (27), and Virginia (39) are the teams ranked above the Wolfpack. UNC is 95th, and I think we can all agree this is very funny.

If you need a refresher on the NET, there is more info on its component parts here. It’s important to remember that unlike, say, the Pomeroy Ratings, NET doesn’t factor in any data from the previous season. Since NET is only working with the data from the current year, it’s going to be a little rougher around the edges early on. Also important: NET has problems but is a million times better than RPI.

Not only does NC State begin in the top 50, but it has an entirely acceptable non-conference strength of schedule ranking of 154. We’re just trying not to stick out like a sore thumb again, and we’ve accomplished it with flying colors! Just kinda over there in the middle, not worth pointing out one way or the other.

Picking up a headlining win or two in league play would still be wise, though.