Thanks to an outstanding performance from forward DJ Burns Jr., NC State advanced to the Final Four for the fourth time in program history. This is his first since his 1983 national championship, one of his most memorable NCAA Tournament performances.
The Wolfpack (26-14) is building a similar story this season. NC State has the most losses of any team in the national semifinals, but will enter the final weekend of the season on a nine-game winning streak thanks to Barnes, the best player in the South. On Sunday, he scored a season-high 29 points on 13-of-19 shooting, and North Carolina State pulled away on 73.1 percent shooting in the second half.
“This means a lot,” coach Kevin Keatts said. “Our school deserves it. Our players have worked really hard. Our fans deserve it. We've done a really good job. When I say 'we,' I always mean 'us.' “Is called. In other words, the young men in the locker room, through all the ups and downs of winning and losing games, never lost faith and stayed united. ”
On Saturday in Glendale, Arizona, North Carolina State will send No. 2 seed Tennessee to face No. 1 seed Purdue, which won the Midwest Region on Sunday.
Rookie guard Jared McCain led the Blue Devils with a 27-9 record, scoring 32 points on 32.2 percent shooting, but was just 8 of 20 from the field. Senior point guard Jeremy Roach (Paul VI) had 13 points and three assists.
The result was little more than a formality, as the Wolfpack took a 58-44 lead on Barnes' layup with less than five minutes left. Teammate DJ Horn had 20 points, four rebounds and three assists, and point guard Michael O'Connell (six points) had 11 rebounds and six assists, all team highs.
“This is definitely a big thing for our program,” Horn said hours after the North Carolina State women's team clinched a spot in the Final Four. “Seeing them succeed definitely motivates us. We're worried about the team right now and we're trying to make the most of what we've put forward. I think he's just doing it.”
North Carolina State fans rose to their feet and chanted “Wolfpack!” A pack of wolves! A pack of wolves! ” Immediately after a 12-2 burst, the lead expanded to 48-40 with just over eight minutes left. Barnes made two come-from-behind shots and Horn hit a jumper from a step inside the 3-point arc.
As North Carolina State progressed, Duke's leading scorer and rebounder Kyle Filipovski was called for his fourth foul. The sophomore fouled out with 4:52 left. He scored 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting.
Horn's five quick points gave the Wolfpack a 36-35 lead seven minutes into the second half. It was North Carolina State's first advantage since going 8-7.
“I know they're hurt and disappointed that we didn't win, that we didn't get to the Final Four and go to Phoenix,” Duke coach John Scheyer said. “… It's unfortunate. I feel bad for them, but I appreciate everything they've done for our program and for Duke.”
In the first NCAA tournament matchup between the North Carolina Triangle ACC rivals, a first-half defensive showdown ended with Duke leading 27-21. To date, he has also put together a program that has hosted seven national championships and has a history deeply rooted at Tobacco Road.
The Blue Devils are making their 24th appearance in the regional finals, third all-time, but will be coached by Scheyer, the captain of the Blue Devils' 2010 national championship team who succeeded Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski in 2022. It was my first time participating.
The Wolfpack's seventh appearance in the Elite Eight, and first since 1986, seemed like a pipe dream after losing their final four games of the regular season. However, North Carolina State won his five games in the same number of days and won his ACC tournament title in Washington. That included a 74-69 victory over the Blue Devils in the quarterfinals.
The latest installment of this rivalry began with Scheier choosing to protect Burns with one defender in the first half. This strategy, from which the Blue Devils did not deviate, allowed Duke to defend the 3-point line more vigorously and prevent Barnes from passing to an open teammate if he doubled up in the paint. .
But the graduate transfer, listed at 6-foot-9 and 275 pounds, was able to set Filipovski back on an early possession with a short jumper until the whistle for a second foul midway through the first half. . When Barnes went to the bench for extra rest, Duke started getting closer to the rim for layups, but the Wolfpack missed their first seven attempts.
Two McCain free throws and a Sean Stewart layup off a lob pass from Roach extended the Blue Devils' lead to 27-18, but even after a technical foul on the Wolfpack bench, NC State Dai found his answer in the second half. Mr. Keats strongly opposed this call. This turn of events motivated North Carolina State to extend its lead to double digits.
“I think the biggest thing was coming together,” O’Connell said. He provided a bit of March magic with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to force overtime in the ACC semifinals against Virginia. “Of course, things don't always go well and sometimes things go wrong, but it means a lot to us to come together and get through tough times and great times.”