North Carolina State Shocks Tar Heels, Claims ACC Title
The nation’s capital: As he grinned, D.J. Burns Jr. faced his parents. A matching grin belonged to Dwight Sr. Instead of smiling, Takela was suppressing her emotions and not counting her chickens just yet. Fans of North Carolina State knew better than everyone else in the ACC Tournament to hold off on making any assumptions until the final buzzer sounded.
The squad was playing their sixth game in as many days; however, they still managed to surge to victory. You mean the balls that are flipped in half? Can you turn off the key? The large pails from both expected and unexpected locations? Their affiliation was with NC State.
As a result, Burns Jr. had a brief message for his parents before the final buzzer rang on an 84-76 victory, after he and his teammates had exited to a raucous ovation.
“I told them last night that I was going to give it my all,” stated the man. “I didn’t care how many points I scored; I didn’t care anything about that other stuff.”
His squad relied on all 20 of his points, even if he didn’t seem to care about them. He tied a career best with seven assists and made his first 3-pointer in his 160th game overall. Prior to this, he had gone 0-for-10 in his career. Plus, he managed to do it all while smiling.
“I tell anyone: When I stop having fun with it, I’ll be done, and if I can’t smile, it’s probably not something I’m going to do,” said the man. Fun is the most important thing in life. As luck would have it, it’s through basketball. No matter what happens, I will be a happy person.
Just behind Burns with 20 points was DJ Horne, who not only had his family there but also scored 29. Their outfits said, “Why Not Us?” Casual wear. After her son’s quarterfinal upset over Duke, Horne uttered the remark, and his mother, Tivona, realized she had to whip up some impromptu clothing.
“It hasn’t even hit me yet,” she added while the squad waited to load the bus. I am proud of them and happy for them. They achieved a great deal. They were not expected to be here. From Tuesday through Saturday, is it possible? It was done. They succeeded.
Who says NC State isn’t fair game? Seven of the Wolfpack’s last nine regular-season games ended in losses, including their last four consecutive games.
Who says NC State isn’t fair game? The only team to win five games in five days since the NCAA Tournament began in 1939 was Kemba Walker’s historic UConn team in 2011, and no team in ACC Tournament history had ever accomplished it.
Who says NC State isn’t fair game? The last twelve teams to win the ACC Tournament had a one-point lead at halftime; after a stellar first half, the Wolfpack fell behind. They would eventually tire, wouldn’t they?
Totally incorrect. Nobody could stop this squad. Unwavering faith was the bedrock of it all. Nearly two years ago, Burns began his journey to Raleigh, South Carolina, after spending a redshirt season at Tennessee and three seasons at Winthrop. Along the way, Kevin Keatts gave him encouragement.
“I’m so thankful for that man,” Burns said. He introduced me to a completely different world of basketball. He informed me upon my arrival that no one here believes in me, but he does, and I’m confident that we will succeed. Even though we failed to complete it in the first year, consider our current progress.
There’s a common thread here: men who, at the time, couldn’t believe it had happened but who had faith that it could. Another common thread is the inclusion of underdogs who have struggled both this season and in previous stops. There is not a single member on the Wolfpack’s seven-man roster who hails from Raleigh, NC. Not only did they find a place to call home, but they also became a family that united like no other ACC squad.
Casey Morsell, a transfer from Virginia, admitted that the team could have easily given up after all they’d been through. Everything that could have gone wrong this season did, and we just remained united and continued believing, whether it was injuries, players leaving, players not playing, or simply different rotations. It was easy. We are extremely much in love and communicate daily. There is an unbreakable link between us since we are brothers.
They were unbreakable in spirit as well. Despite a temporary absence due to a groin injury, Morsell made a triumphant return, his defense unwavering. A transfer from Missouri to France After scoring 11 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, Mohamed Diarra exemplified the aches and pains that come with becoming a champion. His cut lip couldn’t hide his enormous grin.
Following just two in the regular season, he recorded his second double-double of the tournament. Transfer to Stanford University Michael O’Connell managed to sneak in 10 points despite having a poor shooting night; he nailed the all-time buzzer beater to force overtime versus Virginia.
There are a lot of second and third chances in this group, as well as young men who sought and found a home and players who believed in one another beyond all else.
“This is for everyone who needs a story about an underdog who a lot of people are betting against,” remarked the author. We were that group. We wholeheartedly accepted our role as those men. We are here now because we have embraced the story and the hardship.
Nothing can soon erase NC State’s recent achievements, but as DJ Horne pointed out, they are far from finished.
