The clock is running out, and the pressure is on. The ball is passed to Michael O’Connell, and with no time to pass, he takes a 3-point shot to take the semi-finals of the ACC tournament to overtime; if he misses this shot, NC State’s season is over. This is only one of many miracles that had to go States’ way to create this run that can only be described as magical.
While it is magical, it is not the first time something like this that has happened in NC State basketball. In 1983 their basketball team experienced an almost identical scenario. The ‘83 state team, led by coach Jim Valvano, made a historic run– winning the ACC conference tournament to get into March Madness (NCAA Tournament) and then proceeding to win the entire competition.
Aside from this championship, NC State is not known as a basketball powerhouse. That’s what makes this year’s team so special and unexpected.
State played at a subpar level for most of their regular season and made it so that the only way into March Madness was by winning five games in five days as the 10th seed out of 15 and claiming the ACC championship. Amazingly enough, they managed to pull it off and entered the NCAA tournament as an 11th seed.
Breakdown of Games
First round – Their first game, in the round of 64 was against Texas Tech, and after NC State’s ACC win streak, this game was easily won. NC State won 80-67.
Second round – In the second round NC State met up with another double-digit seed, Oakland University. In NC State’s closest game so far, they won in overtime 79-73.
Sweet Sixteen – In the Sweet Sixteen, State faced Marquette and won 67-58 while maintaining the lead for the entirety of the game.
Elite Eight – Finally in State’s most recent game, they beat Duke to advance to the final four with a score of 76-64
Starting Five
DJ Burns Jr. (Forward) – Weighing in at 275 pounds and 6’9 in height, Burns is the biggest NC State starter. He averages 13 points per game and frequently dominates the play under the hoop. Burns highlighted his skills against Duke on March 4th by scoring 27 points, following up with another 29 points in the Elite Eight game versus Duke.
Mohamed Diarra (Forward) – Diarra leads the team in rebounds and blocks, averaging 7.8 rebounds a game. He is the tallest player of the starting five, standing at 6’10, 175 pounds. In NC State’s conference game, Diarra had a season-high 14 points and 16 rebounds, providing a critical role in their advancement to the tournament.
Casey Morsell (Guard) – The 6’3, 200-pound senior averages 11.4 points per game, often changing the outcome of the score. Throughout conference play, his most substantial game was against Louisville when he put up 25 points, helping State move up in the ACC tournament.
DJ Horne (Guard) – As a crucial aspect of the starting five, he’s the lead scorer averaging 16.8 points per game. He weighs in at 175 pounds and is 6’1 in height. During the conference season, his best game was against Wake Forest, scoring 31 points. In the Elite Eight game against Duke, Horne scored 20 points and had four rebounds
Michael O’Connell (Guard) – While he may not be the most flashy player, O’Connell leads the team in assists, averaging 3.5 a game. In the game against Syracuse, he scored 16 points and had three assists, which allowed his team to keep going in the ACC tournament. On top of that, he had 11 rebounds and six assists during the Elite Eight game versus Duke.
Their final four-game is Saturday, Apr. 6 against first seed Purdue. While they are not expected to win, it will be interesting to see if the underdogs stay on top.
