Will NC State basketball, which has already made history in D.C., win the ACC Tournament?
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Three days, three wins for NC State basketball.
For the first time in the history of the ACC Tournament, a team has advanced from Tuesday to Friday.
With its win against No. 11 Duke on Thursday at the 71st edition of the tournament, the Wolfpack made history. But why stop now as NC State chases its first ACC championship since raising the trophy in 1987 in Landover, Maryland.
“We have no plans on stopping,” DJ Burns said after NC State’s 74-69 victory against the Blue Devils at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
Even as rumors swirled about the job security of head coach Kevin Keatts and the Wolfpack (20-14) limped into the ACC Tournament with four straight losses to close the regular season, the program's one-game-at-a-time focus has been a rallying point in the nation’s capital.
HOW NC STATE SHOCKED DUKE: DJ Horne, NC State basketball knock off No. 11 Duke at ACC Tournament
ACC TOURNAMENT SCORES/BRACKET: ACC Tournament, UNC, Duke basketball score updates: Blue Devils to play NC State
“I mean, coming into this tournament, we came in with a mindset that we're just going to be focused on the guys in our locker room,” said DJ Horne, who had 18 points against Duke.
“I think we've been showing that.”
Confidence is growing for the Wolfpack, which has a chance to be in the ACC championship game for the first time since 2007.
“I don’t know where it’s been, I’m just glad it’s here now,” Burns said of NC State finding its groove. “. … I hope it doesn’t go anywhere.”
From start to finish against the Blue Devils (24-8), who earned a 15-point win against NC State in Raleigh earlier this month, the Wolfpack looked like the hungrier team – and played like it.
“We said when we got to the tournament, we can play and we can beat anybody in this league,” Keatts said. “The unfortunate thing about it is that everybody else can do the same thing. So I think we're locked in.”
After already setting a new standard by going from Tuesday to two wins from a title, why not make more history and snag an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament?
NC State knows plenty about making some magic in March Madness.
“I know you guys love this, if you're a part of Wolfpack Nation,” Keatts said. “We survive and advance.”
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State basketball makes history at ACC Tournament with win vs. Duke
