Ranking North Carolina State Basketball's Top 5 Nonconference Matchups

Year in and year out, the North Carolina State men's basketball program prides themselves on scheduling tough out-of-conference games.

Looking at the 2014 slate, this year is no different.

With three games against 2014 NCAA Tournament teams (including Cincinnati and Tennessee), the Wolfpack will most certainly have their hands full. Not to mention, three of the teams they play are currently receiving votes in the AP Top 25 Preseason Rankings (including an up-and-coming Louisiana Tech squad).

In addition, five of their games are against power-five conference teams, including a marquee matchup with West Virginia at Madison Square Garden. 

Head coach Mark Gottfried believes that a tough out-of-conference schedule does two things: It prepares the team for the gauntlet of ACC games and helps to solidify their resume for the NCAA Tournament selection committee at the end of the year. 

Many were surprised the Wolfpack made it into the 68-team field last year. Not Gottfried. 

"I think our schedule strength was No. 21 in the country," Gottfried told Mike Potter of NewsandObserver.com. 

"We lost a lot of guys from last year and could have made a choice to soften up the non-conference schedule, but we didn’t do that. I didn’t want to do that. And I played a tough non-conference schedule for the very reason of sitting here today. I hoped that would pay off for us.”

Again, scheduling tough games early in the season against teams that are predicted to be successful, as well as programs that had success last year, is a recipe for success at the end of the year. Without further ado, let's take a look at the five juiciest out-of-conference matchups for the Pack this season. 

Honorable Mentions

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Josh Richardson was the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year

These are the matchups that just missed the cut for the top five. 

Tennessee

The Volunteers are coming off a deep NCAA Tournament run that included a Sweet 16 appearance, but will look much different this season. They sport a new head coach at the helm in Donnie Tyndall, who takes over a power conference team for the first time in his career.

The loss of Jordan McRae will no doubt be a big one, but the Vols do return the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year in Josh Richardson. Tennessee will have revenge on its mind when the team travels to PNC Arena after dropping a home game to the Pack last season.

Wofford

The Terriers won the Southern Conference Tournament last year, which made them an automatic qualifier in the Big Dance for the third time in five seasons.

According to The Post and Courier, the team is projected to repeat as conference champions, and they return all five of their starters. This will be a special one for the Wolfpack, as it is just one of two games that will be played in the historic atmosphere of Reynolds Coliseum. 

Richmond

Richmond is predicted to finish fifth in the competitive Atlantic 10, according to CBSSports.com. Head coach Chris Mooney has led the Spiders to two NCAA tournament appearances during his tenure, so he knows what it takes to win big games.

The team won 19 games last season and also returns a wealth of experience. This early season matchup (the Pack's fifth game on the schedule) should be a good test for the young team. 

5. Boise State

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Boise State is one of the more experienced teams that NC State will face this year, and they are projected to finish second in the Mountain West Conference, according to CBSSports.com. The Broncos present a tough matchup for any team they face because they have so many capable outside shooters. They return three starters from last season, including their two top scorers in Anthony Drmic and Derrick Marks. 

The team also took care of the ball very well last year, ranking 44th in the country by only committing 10 turnovers per game, according to ESPN.com. The Wolfpack will have to be aggressive on defense to force the Broncos into turnovers while also remaining disciplined and patient on that side of the ball. 

4. Purdue

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NC State's game against Purdue will be one of the first premier matchups of the season. The game is a part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, which will give the Pack an opportunity to showcase the strength of their conference on the road in early December. 

While Purdue is expected to struggle in the Big Ten once again this year (at least according to CBSSports.com), they are still a power-conference team that has a knack for making the NCAA Tournament. Not to mention, they are led by the three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year in Matt Painter. Painter led his team to six straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2007 to 2012. 

The team is led by 7'1" center A.J. Hammons who obviously presents a matchup problem with his size. The former McDonalds All-American made the All-Big Ten Defensive Team last season and is considered a top prospect for the 2015 NBA Draft. While the Boilermakers won't be a top-tier Big Ten team this year, they'll still be a good early season test for the Wolfpack. 

3. Louisiana Tech

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Louisiana Tech is already on the national radar, receiving votes in both the AP Top 25 Preseason Rankings as well as the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs racked up 29 wins and just missed the NCAA Tournament last season, losing in their conference championship game. This is another team that's projected to win their conference (Conference USA). 

The team returns top scorer Alex Hamilton, as well as Kenneth "Speedy" Smith, who is the leading returning passer in the country and averaged 7.9 assists per game last season, according to CBSSports.com.

Smith was the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2013, and finished 11th in the country in steals, averaging 2.5 per game. The Bulldogs will be without a doubt one of the toughest teams the Wolfpack will play out of conference this year. 

The game will be the Pack's second in four days and played on the heels of a road game in New York at Madison Square Garden. With NC State being a young team, this matchup will be an excellent indicator of the Wolfpack's mental toughness against a squad that is likely to be in the NCAA Tournament this March. 

2. Cincinnati

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Cincinnati is another one of those teams that are floating right around the edge of the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Coaches Poll. The Bearcats only return two starters from last season but have always proven capable under ninth year head coach Mick Cronin. 

Last year, the Bearcats were especially stingy on defense, ranking fourth nationally by holding opponents to just 58.4 points per game, according to Cincinnati.com. What makes this matchup even more intriguing is the fact that these two teams played last year in Ohio. The Wolfpack fell victim to the Bearcats defense, scoring only 57 points in a loss last year. The Pack will look to avenge that defeat at home this season.

1. West Virginia

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Juwan Staten is the preseason pick for Big 12 Player of the Year

West Virginia is another team that is receiving preseason recognition, as they've notched a vote in the AP Top 25. Not only that, they are also a team that is projected towards the top of the Big 12 conference, per CBSSports.com. This undoubtedly puts them over the top as the Pack's most exciting nonconference game. 

What makes the Mountaineers matchup even more daunting than the others is its location. This game will be played away from PNC Arena and is part of the Gotham Classic that takes place at Madison Square Garden, pitting two strong power-five conference teams against each other. The winner of this game will have a solid victory to take with them heading into league play.

West Virginia's leader on the floor is guard Juwan Staten, who is the preseason pick for player of the year in the Big 12, as well as a 2015 Bob Cousy Award nominee as the nation's best point guard. 

The Mountaineers unfortunately lost three of their top five scorers who all transferred from the program over the summer—including guard Terry Henderson, who interestingly now plays for the Wolfpack—so their depth will be tested. Nevertheless, this will be a great matchup that will be broadcast to a national audience on ESPN2.