Wolfpack continue magical March run to the Elite Eight
DJ Horne blew kisses to the crowd and blew off the notion of North Carolina State as a Cinderella.
As for their opportunity to create a replay of 1983, yeah, the Wolfpack are aware.
Horne scored 19 points and N.C. State kept its magical NCAA Tournament run alive, beating Marquette 67-58 on Friday night to reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 1986.
Casey Morsell added 15 points and Mohamed Diarra had 11 points and 15 rebounds in N.C. State’s eighth consecutive victory since the start of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, which the Wolfpack had to win even to be a part of March Madness. On the 50th anniversary of N.C. State’s first national championship in 1974 — when the Wolfpack beat the Golden Eagles for the title — it’s beginning to look a lot like the second one nine years after that.
“It’s magical, but I’m going to say we knew this from day one,” said Horne, whose team lost seven of nine to finish the regular season. “We knew we were a good team. It was all a matter of just locking in and understanding our roles, and no better time to be doing that than now.”
N.C. State (25-14), the 11th seed in the South Region, will face No. 4 seed Duke in an all-ACC duel for a spot in the Final Four.
The last time the Wolfpack went that far, 41 years ago, they had to win the ACC Tournament before the late Jim Valvano sprinted around the court trying to find someone to hug after a still-talked-about upset of high-flying Houston for the title.
The Cougars won’t be the opponent in the South Region final because of the Blue Devils’ 54-51 victory. But there are still plenty of reasons to be flashing back to 1983.
The lower-key Kevin Keatts is in charge of the latest unlikely crew, with a big personality between the lines in 6-foot-9, 275-pound forward DJ Burns Jr., whose spinning layup and five assists helped the Wolfpack build a 13-point halftime lead.
“We don’t have to talk about that history because we celebrate it the entire time,” Keatts said. “It’s been talked about since I’ve been here, and it’s going to be talked about as long as we ever are going to remember.”
Duke 54, Houston 51: Kyle Filipowski and Duke got pushed around again in the NCAA Tournament. This time, the Blue Devils responded to set up a Tobacco Road showdown in Big D for a spot in the Final Four.
The 7-foot sophomore center had 16 points and nine rebounds, Jeremy Roach scored all 14 of his points after halftime, and Duke advanced to the Elite Eight with a win over top-seeded Houston, which played the final 26 minutes Friday night without All-America point guard Jamal Shead after he turned his right ankle. Even with Shead on the bench, the fourthseeded Blue Devils (27-8) had to overcome a physical defense that has been one of the best in the country all season. They won despite a season low in points.
“Any questions about their mental toughness or their heart, I think they answered those tonight,” second-year coach Jon Scheyer said.
Midwest Region
Tennessee 82, Creighton 75:
Dalton Knecht was all over the court, jumping into passing lanes for steals, shooting 3-pointers, driving and dishing to set up teammates for shots.
He wasn’t alone.
Tennessee, with its relentless defense from logo to rim and unselfish offense, was too much for Creighton.
Knecht had 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, and the Volunteers moved within a victory of their first trip to the Final Four, beating the Bluejays in a Midwest Region semifinal on Friday night.