RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State heads into the final 18-game slate of ACC play this Saturday at Clemson looking to move above .500 in conference play. The Wolfpack is currently 10-3 (1-1 ACC) with two of the three losses to ranked opponents and two "Quadrant 1" wins over Wisconsin at home and UNCG on the road.

Given those wins, the Pack will now look to keep bolstering its resume by getting off to a strong start in January with five straight games against unranked opponents. But with two road games over that stretch and the known fact that no games in the ACC are gimmes, State will need to clean some things up leading up to March.

With less than 48 hours before the Pack takes on Clemson to start the 2020 portion of the season, here's a look at some of those areas in NC State's New Year's resolutions.

Improve Free-Throw Shooting

This one might be the most obvious out of all the New Year's resolutions. Think of this one as the "losing weight" category, which always seems to be the most popular around this time of year. The Pack's free-throw shooting percentage is currently at 71.7 percent overall, which ranks 117th in the NCAA. So instead of losing weight, it needs to drop some of the missed freebies.

Among the most puzzling performances through the first two months has been Markell Johnson, who is currently shooting 51.4 percent. Since going 4-of-4 against Wake Forest on the road, Johnson has gone 9-of-23 over the last four games for a combined free-throw percentage of 39.1 percent. That's not gonna get the job done.

Pat Andree (92.3) and Braxton Beverly (81.3) are the only players for NC State shooting above 80 percent, but they are averaging a combined 2.2 attempts per game. With the game on the line, the Pack will look to get the ball to both players, but let's just say it's highly likely either will draw a double team if they're on the court.

While it's certainly not a great indicator of success as teams win every year without being great at free-throw shooting, it will be critical over the next several months. And as March approaches, shooting 80 percent instead of 70 percent in a game could mean the difference between a double bye in the ACC tournament and having to play four straight days to win an ACC title.

Force More Turnovers

One of the hallmarks of Kevin Keatts' system is forcing turnovers to create more possessions for the offense and limit the other team. The opposition might come away with 70 points, but the Pack expects to finish in the 80s or 90s if it can cash in on the turnovers forced.

Currently ranked 84th in the NCAA with 15.54 turnovers forced per game, this is an area that would help its 206th-ranked scoring defense. State may be ranked No. 44 in the country in turnover margin at +3.2, but this is always an area that Keatts wants to dominate to pull away in games.

Though this might not seem like a huge need for NC State fans, it takes an understanding of how Keatts' system works as well. With a press defense that relies on frustrating the opposition, getting turnovers can lead to lengthy runs and changing momentum if the Pack is down in ACC play.

This will be especially important on Saturday if the Pack is without C.J. Bryce, which appears to be the case. With less bodies on the court and facing a Clemson team that ranks 109th in the country with 13 turnovers per game, State will need everyone to contribute to keep the Tigers in check.

Slay the Beasts

One issue that NC State ran into last season that left the Pack outside of the NCAA Tournament bubble was simple -- not seizing its opportunities against top-tier opponents. State went 20-10 during the regular season with a 9-9 record, but went 1-9 against ranked opponents and ultimately missed out on making the Big Dance.

This season, those opportunities will certainly present themselves, but could be fewer than last season. That makes a road game against defending champion Virginia a home game against No. 7 Louisville along with a hone-and-home against No. 5 Duke that much more critical.

Of course, this isn't something that can be fixed right away, especially with a few teams near the bottom of the ACC coming up, but miscues against those teams can be equally costly. While the committee publicly said the failure to beat ranked teams hurt the Pack, I still believe wins over Wake Forest and Georgia Tech would have been he difference.