NC State coach Mark Gottfried kick-starts a new era of Wolfpack basketball tonight at the RBC Center, and it will be against a familiar foe on the sidelines to area fans.

NC State hosts UNC Asheville at 7 p.m. tonight, with the Bulldogs coached by former NC State player and assistant coach Eddie Biedenbach. Biedenbach's wife, Barbara, is a NC State graduate and former cheerleader, and both of his daughters, Tracy and Amy, are graduates and were on the Wolfpack dance team.

UNC Asheville was named the preseason favorite in the Big South, and senior shooting guard Matt Dickey was named the preseason conference player of the year. He earned first-team All-Big South last year, and was named the Big South Tournament MVP.

The undersized UNC Asheville starting five — all five starters are 6-foot-5 or shorter — led by Dickey and senior point guard J.P. Primm, who are both 6-1. Primm was named preseason first-team all-conference, along with Dickey.

Game time: Friday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m. — RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C.

Television: TheACC.com

PG — 2 Lorenzo Brown (6-5, 186, Soph., 9.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.3 spg)

SG — 21 C.J. Williams (6-5, 218, Sr., 4.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.1 apg)

SF — 15 Scott Wood (6-6, 177, Jr., 9.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.4 apg)

PF — 1 Richard Howell (6-8, 261, Jr., 7.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 0.9 apg)

C — 14 Jordan Vandenberg (7-1, 248, Jr., 1.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.7 bpg)

PG — 3 J.P. Primm (6-1, 195, Sr., 14.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.6 apg)

SG — 2 Matt Dickey (6-1, 180, Sr., 15.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.7 apg)

SF — 5 Jaron Lane (6-4, 170, Jr., 8.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg)

F — 4 Chris Stephenson (6-3, 200, Jr., 9.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg)

PF — 32 Quinard Jackson (6-5, 220, Sr., 5.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg)

Location: Asheville, N.C.

Nickname: Bulldogs

2010-11 record: 20-14 overall, 11-7 Big South

2011 postseason: Lost 74-51 to Pittsburgh in the round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament to go 1-1.

Coach: Eddie Biedenbach, 245-283 in 18 years overall, and 216-232 in 14 years at UNC Asheville.

Series: NC State leads 15-0

Last meeting: NC State won 86-56 on Dec. 14, 2005.

UNC Asheville: Dickey was named the Big South preseason player of the year. He is an explosive long-range shooter, and made at least three three-pointers in 12 games last year. He had a season-high 29 points against Charleston Southern, and topped 20 points in nine games … Primm topped 20 points in six games last year, including 22 against Arkansas-Little Rock in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. He shot over 10 free throws in seven games, and had at least five assists in 16 games … Primm had 24 points, Dickey 18 and Stephenson 14 in UNC Asheville's 98-67 exhibition victory over Lees-McRae in the Bulldogs new arena … Freshman shooting guard Keith Hornsby is the son of singer Bruce Hornsby, and was an elite long-range shooter for Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill Academy last year.

NC State: Gottfried went 3-0 in season openers at Murray State and 7-4 while at Alabama … The Wolfpack are coming off defeating Flagler 102-61 in exhibition action Monday. Wood hit six first half three-pointers en route to 24 points, and the Wolfpack featured four players in double figures. Wood is two starts away from moving into the top 10 in school history for career starts (67). He also needs two more made three-pointers to move into a tie for 10th all-time (137) … Williams was expected to miss tonight's game after suffering a hairline fracture in his left non-shooting thumb, but was able to play in the Red-White scrimmage Saturday and against Flagler. The thumb didn't affect his long-range shooting in either game He had 10 points vs. Flagler … NC State also plays Sunday when Morehead State comes to the RBC Center. The game will be on ESPN3.com.