Mark Gottfried began his third season as head coach of the Wolfpack having lost five of seven players who logged significant minutes (four of which were starters). They struggled for most of the season, finishing 9–9 in ACC play. However, the Wolfpack surprised many by making the semifinals of the ACC tournament by upsetting #11 Syracuse, who entered the tournament as a second seed. They eventually lost to a third seeded Duke team. They were selected as a #12 seed in the 2014 NCAA tournament, where they won over Xavier in the First Four before losing in the second round to St. Louis. They finished the season 22–14.