GAME NOTES: Following a season-opening win over Jackson State, the NC State Wolfpack will try to string a pair of wins together as they clash with the Hofstra Pride in non-conference action at PNC Arena.

Hofstra, of the Colonial Athletic Association, opened its season with a convincing 94-61 victory over Jacksonville Friday night. The Pride are trying to turn around from a 2013-14 season in which the team accumulated a mere 10-23 overall record.

NC State lost one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's best players following last season in T.J. Warren. Although the NBA draft pick is no longer on the roster, the team was able to maul Jackson State on Friday night, 93-58, in Raleigh.

This meeting between Hofstra and NC State marks just the second time these programs have clashed on the basketball court. The Wolfpack hold a 1-0 all- time series lead after defeating the Pride, 82-56, in a contest played during the 1983-84 campaign.

Even though the team finished with a 5-11 record in CAA play last season, Hofstra has high hopes of attaining the conference title this year after landing three transfers and getting three starters back from last season. Two years ago at Niagara, junior guard Juan'ya Green averaged 16.5 ppg and made the All-MAAC First Team, and the Pride are certainly hoping he can replicate that scoring number this season. Another Niagara transfer, Ameen Tanksley, and SMU transfer Brian Bernardi, join the list of Hofstra players this season.

Bernardi led all Hofstra players in scoring Friday night in the team's win over Jacksonville, netting 22 points with three assists in 26 minutes of action on the floor. Tanksley chipped in with 16 points, and Green added 14 of his own in the win. Malik Nichols scored 15 points for Hofstra, and Dion Nesmith (who averaged 13.3 ppg and 4.2 apg last year) came off the bench to score 11 points. Andre Walker and Rokas Gustys each nabbed double-digit rebounds, pulling down 11 and 10 boards, respectively.

Warren was last year's ACC Player of the Year after averaging 24.9 ppg - good for third nationally - so his loss hurts the Wolfpack's offense considerably. But after Warren, much of the role players on NC State return for another season. Ralston Turner (10.5 ppg) is a sturdy backcourt member, along with point guard Anthony Barber (8.5 ppg, 3.5 apg). The Wolfpack also get former Alabama ball handler Trevor Lacey (11.3 ppg, 3.2 apg two season ago with the Crimson Tide), who is eligible to play this season. The fan base in Raleigh will miss Warren, but the Wolfpack should be just fine moving forward.

It was Lacey and Barber who were the two to go off in the team's season- opening win over Jackson State. Barber led all scorers in the contest with 25 points, adding six assists and six rebounds to his stat total. Lacey poured in 22 points for the Wolfpack, and hit 3-of-5 from 3-point distance. Kyle Washington scored seven points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead NC State on the glass, adding two blocked shots in the win.

Despite the absence of Warren, NC State looks to be a powerful team this season, and can get scoring from a number of different options. Hofstra may surprise people in the CAA with a solid core of transfers that can lead the team to a potential title, especially if Towson and Delaware aren't as strong as they were last season. Give the Pride a few more games to get acclimated to their new players, and then they should be able to challenge teams from greater conferences.