RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina State plays its first Atlantic Coast Conference game under Mark Gottfried this weekend knowing they need a good run through league play to contend for the NCAA tournament.
If fact, Wolfpack guard Lorenzo Brown says the team needs to win 11 ACC games to put itself in position to reach the NCAAs. It's a win total he says came straight from the coaching staff.
The Wolfpack (11-4) played a tough nonconference schedule, with losses to No. 1 Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Indiana and at Stanford. N.C. State's best nonconference win came in November against Texas, though Gottfried says the team "could've helped ourselves" by squeezing out one or two more.
N.C. State hosts Maryland (10-3) on Sunday. The Terrapins are playing their first ACC game under coach Mark Turgeon.
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