North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Continues Stretch vs. Nation's Top Teams
1/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
| NC State (11-5, 2-1) vs. #2/2 Duke (14-0, 2-0) | ||
| Date | Sunday, Jan. 11 | |
| Time | 1:30 p.m. ET | |
| Location | PNC Arena - Raleigh, N.C. | |
| Tickets | Sold Out | |
| Television | CBS (Spero Dedes, Greg Anthony) | |
| Radio | Wolfpack Sports Network (Gary Hahn, Tony Haynes) Sirius XM 91 | |
| Game Notes | NC State | Duke | |
| Season Statistics | NC State | Duke | |
| Live Stats | GameTracker | |
| Social Media | @PackMensBball  | Facebook  |
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PROMOTION: BeeJay Anya Trading Cards (Available at Sections 115 & 129)
Totino's Pizza Rolls Giveaway
GAME SPONSOR: Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
Text STATE to 72579 to help support the Kay Yow Cancer Fund in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC #Big3Challenge
The Starting 5 - The Top 5 Storylines For This Game
1. ANOTHER CHANCE FOR A SIGNATURE WIN
Sunday's game vs. No. 2 Duke is the second game of a stretch that sees NC State play three consecutive games with ranked opponents, all in an eight-day stretch. After playing at No. 3 Virginia on Wednesday, this is the first time since 1992 NC State has played two teams in a row ranked in the AP top 5. After playing Duke (RPI 5), NCSU will take on No. 18/17 UNC-Chapel Hill (RPI 21). NC State is currently No. 43 in the RPI with the No. 8 strength of schedule. The Pack currently owns three top-75 wins (Boise State, Tennessee, Pittsburgh) and can climb college basketball's rankings with good showings in the upcoming games.
2. REALIGNMENT CASUALTY
As the ACC has transformed in membership over the years, so too have traditional rivalries. NC State and Duke played each other twice each year from the 1923-24 season until 2005-06. In a series dating back to 1911, this season marks just the eighth time the two schools will meet just once in the regular season. Sunday's game is the 240th edition of the NC State-Duke rivalry.
3. NC STATE BETTER THAN SECOND-RANKED TEAMS
While NC State has 174 all-time wins against opponents ranked by the AP, the Wolfpack has beaten the poll's No. 2 team six times. The last time NC State beat the nation's second-ranked team was March 9, 2002 when it defeated Maryland 86-82 in the ACC Tournament. However, NC State has beaten a top-ranked Duke team twice since then. The Pack took down Duke when the Devils were No. 1 in 2004 and again in 2013. 

VIDEO: Relive The Pack Taking Down #1 Duke...Twice
4. WOLFPACK GETTING DEFENSIVE
Through three ACC games, the Wolfpack has turned in three solid defensive efforts. On Dec. 6, NC State held Wake Forest to .386 shooting and forced the Deacons into 11 turnovers. The Pack suffocated Pittsburgh on Jan. 3, holding the Panthers to 50 points on .327 shooting. While NC State did fall 61-51 at Virginia on Wednesday, NC State held the Cavs to .411 shooting in a game that was, until some late free throws by Virginia, a defensive battle played in the 50's.
5. CAT, TREVOR AND RALSTON LEAD THE ATTACK
NC State is led by its three-guard attack, with Trevor Lacey, Ralston Turner and Cat Barber combining for 41.6 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. Lacey is fifth in the ACC in scoring with 16.7 points per game. Turner, the team's leading long-range shooter, scores 13.1 points per contest. Barber, State's starting point guard, is scoring 11.8 per game and leads the team in assists.
