Will N.C. State basketball build on its Final Four run? History split on Wolfpack’s odds

RALEIGH — The signs are everywhere at the Dail Basketball Center.

Before walking into N.C. State’s basketball facility, a red decal on the front of the building serves as a reminder of what the Wolfpack accomplished during a magical 2023-24 season.

On a table inside that building, there were copies of “The Technician,” N.C. State’s student newspaper, with the headline: “Same time next year?”

A wall in the hallway features a mashup of several celebratory photographs of the N.C. State team that won the ACC Tournament championship before making a Final Four appearance.

5 ACC Basketball predictions for 2024-25 season

The NCAA Tournament South Regional bracket board is on the same wall and the ACC Tournament bracket is on display overlooking the practice gym. Combined, those boards feature nine stickers that show the Wolfpack’s path from a Tuesday in Washington, D.C., to a Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.

A pair of Final Four decals are positioned on the practice court, where each of the 15 players on the 2024-25 roster were spread out Thursday afternoon to answer questions during the Wolfpack’s annual preseason media day.

Following N.C. State’s first ACC Tournament championship since 1987 and its first Final Four appearance since the “Cardiac Pack” won it all in 1983, the question is simple: Will head coach Kevin Keatts and the Wolfpack maintain that momentum?

“We’re playing with a lot of swag right now,” senior guard Jayden Taylor said with a smile.

“I thought the confidence is just way higher than it was the last time around. We know what we did was crazy. To show that we can do that, we can do it again.”

Will NC State basketball follow path of LSU, UCLA after Final Four run?

Going back to when the NCAA Tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985, seven teams with double-digit seeds have made the Final Four in March Madness.

An 11-seed in 2024, N.C. State joined LSU (1986), George Mason (2006), VCU (2011), Syracuse (2016) Loyola Chicago (2018) and UCLA…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/n-c-state-basketball-build-222644252.html

Author : The Fayetteville Observer

Publish date : 2024-09-19 22:26:44

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