Somehow, some way, the NC State Wolfpack has found their way into the Sweet Sixteen.
The Pack, who ended their regular season on a four-game losing streak, weren’t even supposed to be here.
But they went to Washington D.C. and stole a bid by winning five games in five days to secure the program’s first ACC title since 1987.
Then in Pittsburgh, the Wolfpack upset the Texas Tech Red Raiders 80-67. Next, they fended off the Oakland Grizzlies 79-73 in an overtime thriller.
This season turned on a dime for the Oak City natives. From a struggling team whose coach was on the hot seat, to a squad that will go down in program history.
Now, for the first time since 2015, they’re dancing in the Sweet Sixteen.
“It’s been impressive, this run that we’re on,” said NC State head coach Kevin Keatts. “All the credit has to go to the hard work that the players have put in and they’re receiving the fruits of their labor because of that. I’m so excited for our guys. We’re going to the Sweet Sixteen and this was a team that most people didn’t even think we could make it out of DC. But I’m proud of their fight, proud of who they are and how we’ve really grown as a team.
“I think we’ve just come together. We’ve been a good team all year long, we just didn’t stack games or opportunities. A lot of people put so much into our last four games and they didn’t talk about our first six games. We were 5-1. We had a tough schedule, and when we look back at it, it wasn’t so much about the teams that we played, which were very good. It was what we didn’t do.
“You look at those games, we were in all of them and had the opportunity to win them. I think we’ve just cut down on our mistakes and most of them are on the defensive end. One of the biggest things is we believe and trust in one another. If you’re not having a good night, then you have to trust your brother beside you and I think that’s one of the things we matured in.”
Spreading the wealth
The Pack is also back to doing what brought success at the beginning of the year: getting contributions up and down the lineup.
“That’s the strength of our team and at one point it wasn’t,” Keatts said. “Early on it was either DJ Horne or maybe JT [Daniels] could have a good night. I think one of the things if you look back on the seven games we won in a row, is that everyone has really stepped up in different ways and every night there’s someone else.”
Since the start of the ACC Tournament, the Wolfpack has had five different leading scorers across those seven games. Everyone is stepping up and playing a role.
Big man DJ Burns has turned it up to another level at the NCAAT. Burns is averaging 20 points across his last two games. Also, enough can’t be said about Mo Diarra who’s now gone six straight games with double-digit rebounds and had three straight double-doubles.
But NC State’s biggest challenges are still ahead of them.
On to the Sweet 16
In Dallas, the Pack faces the Marquette Golden Eagles, the South Region’s two-seed, and the Wolfpack’s final opponent 50 years ago when they captured their first ever NCAA title.
The two teams will square off on Friday, March 29 with a 7:15 PM EST tipoff time on CBS.
The Golden Eagles have relied upon guard combo Kam Jones (17.1 points) and Tyler Kolek (15.3 points) for much of this season and on top of each having size – Jones is 6’5” and Kolek is 6’3” – both are shooting nearly 40% from beyond-the-arc.
That doesn’t bode well for an NC State team ranked 231st in the NCAA in terms of three-point defense.
But everybody’s been betting against the Wolfpack all season. All they’ve done is defy the odds.
“They didn’t really believe in us and they probably still don’t, but that doesn’t matter to us,” Burns said. “We’re just going to stay together. If you’re supporting us, thank you. If not, then that’s what it is.”
Because when it comes down to it, all that matters is just that one game. Nothing that happened before matters.
All that matters is to survive and advance.
“That’s what March is all about.”
