The end seemed near for North Carolina State when it lost its final four regular-season matches.
A rapid turnaround followed, and now the Wolfpack find themselves surprisingly in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Up next, the 11th seeded NC State (24-14) aims to extend its winning streak to eight games as it faces second-seeded Marquette (27-9) on Friday night in Dallas.
DJ Burns Jr., the towering figure for the Wolfpack, has observed the rapid return of supporters who once deserted the bandwagon, now rapidly refilling it after the team’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 2015.
“I’m just saying welcome back,” Burns said. “They didn’t really believe in us. They probably still don’t, but that doesn’t matter to us. We’re just going to stay together. If you’re supporting us, thank you. If not, that’s what it is.”
It wasn’t just fans of NC State who had pessimistic expectations for the team this March.
The series of four losses, averaging a 9.8-point deficit, extended a dismal period during which the Wolfpack suffered defeats in 10 of 14 games.
However, NC State swiftly turned things around, claiming victory in five games in as many nights to secure the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title, and then added two wins in the NCAA Tournament – 80-67 against sixth-seeded Texas Tech in the opening round, and a 79-73 overtime win over 14th seed Oakland in the second round on Saturday.
Head coach Kevin Keatts insists that the remarkable transformation did not catch him off guard.
“I just think we’ve come together,” Keatts said. “Like, we’ve been a good team all year long. We just hadn’t stacked games. We hadn’t stacked opportunities. You think about — a lot of people put so much into our last four games.”
Now, attention has shifted to NC State’s last seven games, with many recognizing the Wolfpack as a red-hot squad.
Burns shone with 24 points and 11 rebounds in the victory over Oakland, averaging 20 points in the two NCAA triumphs. Mohamed Diarra secured double-doubles in both matches, averaging 14 points and 12.5 rebounds in the tournament.
Marquette clinched wins of 87-69 against 15th-seeded Western Kentucky in the opening round and 81-77 against 10th seed Colorado in the second round on Sunday to reach its first Sweet 16 since 2013.
Key player Tyler Kolek showcased a full recovery from an oblique injury in his first appearances since Feb. 28. He averaged 19.5 points and 11 assists, shooting 63% from the field in the two victories.
“I’m not really feeling anything when I’m playing right now, which is a good thing, knock on wood,” Kolek said. “But even if I was, I’d still be playing through it. That’s just the nature of who I am.”
Kolek contributed 21 points and 11 assists in the win over Colorado, with Kam Jones adding 18 points.
The triumph was significant for Kolek as Marquette had exited in the second round last season, and in the first round in 2022.
“For this group, we feel like it’s been a long time coming,” Kolek said. “That first year didn’t go how we wanted. Second year certainly didn’t go how we wanted, and then coming back this year we had a vengeance.”
“I told the guys before (Saturday’s) game, this moment has been in our nightmares, and we’re not running from it anymore.”
Monday marked the 50th anniversary of NC State’s triumph over Marquette in the 1974 national championship game with a score of 76-64. The legendary David Thompson from the Wolfpack was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
