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The NC State Wolfpack saw their season winding down after a fourth consecutive loss on March 9, sitting at 10th in the ACC.
Entering the ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament last week, the Wolfpack walked into the Capitol One Arena in Washington D.C., with their season hanging by a threat. NC State leading scorer DJ Horne knew the tight rope his squad was walking on.
However, a lot can change in five days.
Getting To The Big Dance
The lowest-seeded team to win the ACC Tournament was Virginia Tech in 2022 as a seven seed.
Five wins in as many days, capped off with a convincing win over tournament favorites and in-state rivals North Carolina, meant that NC State had done the impossible.
The 10th-seeded Wolfpack claimed their first ACC Championship in 37 years, with coach Kevin Keatts acknowledging the difficulty of the school’s title drought.
However, Keatts does not want the miracle to end.
NC State’s new challenge
Although the Wolfpack have just run through a gauntlet of solid competition, the NCAA Tournament will not be taking it easy on them.
Placed in the South Region of the bracket as an 11th seed, the Wolfpack take on six seed Texas Tech (23-10) in the first round of the tournament.
Winning that game would mean a possible matchup with three seed Kentucky in the next round.
Just last season, NC State lost to six seed Creighton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, history it hopes does not repeat.
These challenges do not faze DJ Horne and the Wolfpack squad, who believe they are putting it all together at the right time.
Taking In The Moment
Regardless of the result at the end of March, Keatts and his team have etched their names in NC State and ACC history.
The team may not be satisfied if the season ends against Texas Tech on Thursday, but still acknowledges the feat of reaching this point compared to where the team sat prior to the ACC Tournament.
Keatts recognizes the Wolfpack’s five wins in five days to win the ACC title will not be soon forgotten.
