COLUMN: NC State men’s basketball’s miracle run squashed 'NC State Shit'

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Before this year’s thrilling postseason run, NC State men’s basketball was decades removed from its last golden victory in ‘83. It put NC State at a disadvantage when trying to recruit, especially against the two other power basketball schools nearby.

While dealing with “NC State Shit” for decades after Jim Valvano was forced out as head coach, UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke dominated basketball in North Carolina. The schools combined for nine National Championships after Valvano was fired.

When high schoolers and now transfers decide where to play college basketball, they think about watching those teams growing up. They have memories of Luke Maye’s game-winning shot against Kentucky in the Elite Eight on the way to a championship and the countless stars Mike Krzyzewski produced at Duke.

NC State didn’t have a history that anyone under the age of 40 could look back on. Anyone the Wolfpack tried to recruit only had memories of NC State losing to the Blue Devils and Tar Heels. 

But now, after winning five games in as many days to claim the ACC Championship and making the Final Four as a No. 11 seed, the Wolfpack has a story no one will soon forget.

Recruits will now recall how much fun graduate forward DJ Burns had on the court. He and the rest of the team walking out to the song “Get in with me” before every postseason game with a team manager holding the boombox on his shoulder helped foster excitement around the Wolfpack.

Players will want to experience a road win so they can celebrate with ice cream — a tradition head coach Kevin Keatts started when he arrived in Raleigh. The Wolfpack’s first Final Four since 1983 gave it a national spotlight and a run that will live in the lore of March Madness.

“We have a story,” Keatts said. “When you’re in any sport, you want to have a story. Look at our story. I mean the way this story was written was unbelievable because in order to win any championships, you have to have some highs and lows.”

This story was one that sounds like it belongs in a fairytale. Yet it was very real. Millions watched the Wolfpack game after game in March. Keatts proved that the seemingly impossible is possible at NC State.

“Look at what this team was able to accomplish," Keatts said. “I sit back, I just don’t know how you can win nine elimination games. … These guys always believed. They trusted. Even when we wasn’t having success, they believed in me, and they believed in the staff.”

This belief has been crucial for the Pack during the highs and lows of the season. From deflating regular season losses to exhilarating postseason wins, the Pack kept one constant: belief. This belief allowed the red-and-white to be resilient in 10 straight elimination games.

“When you sit back and look at what we've done, man, you're going to be amazed at it,” Keatts said. “This doesn't happen every day. How many people do you know finish their run at 9-1, winning nine games, then, obviously, losing the last one?”

While the players believed before anyone else, this run has also sparked belief of Wolfpack fans that NC State can compete at a high level again. With an already passionate fanbase, belief is a dangerous thing. 

With fans fully behind Keatts and his program for the first time in a long time, the Wolfpack can leverage things like NIL and home-court advantage much better now.

“We glad we could bring the culture back to Raleigh and State fans,” Burns said. “They’ve been waiting a long time. We hope we gave them something they can build on next year.”

While the Pack still needs to finalize its roster with some transfer portal additions for 2024-25, things already look promising. Key contributors in junior forward Mohamed Diarra, graduate guard Michael O’Connell and junior guard Jayden Taylor have the option to return. 

Two highly regarded incoming freshmen, forward Paul McNeil and guard Trey Parker, have the talent to contribute early. Graduate forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield from Louisville has already committed to running with the Pack next season. 

“I think this is huge for the program,” said graduate guard Casey Morsell. “One of the things I told the coaches was to keep going, build on this. NC State is in a great position, much better than when I came in, and NC State has a bright future. … This university has all the resources to hang a championship banner.”

The future at NC State is bright. Everything is headed in the right direction to set up a strong campaign next year. 

If the Wolfpack continues to capitalize, it will soon be able to look back at this run and see the catalyst that’s making NC State a power player in the ACC and college basketball nationally.