After dropping road games to Clemson and Virginia Tech, NC State entered a stretch of must-win home games that included a matchup with Miami and a rematch with Clemson.
Luckily these would be the first two conference games that the Pack would be at full strength. Markell Johnson, DJ Funderburk, and CJ Bryce were all finally healthy, and Keatts could get a glimpse of what his team is really capable of. After taking care of Miami (80-63) State faced a Clemson team that had just swept the entire Triangle. After their home win over NC State, they went on to beat UNC in the Dean Dome, and then upset #3 Duke in Littlejohn.