The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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MARCH/APRIL 2024 ■ 49 the Greensboro Coliseum in the game that ended the careers of Thompson, point guard Monte Towe and the late Moe Rivers. It was the three wins in 1974 — 50 years ago — that made the Wolfpack battle-ready to challenge first Mary- land and then UCLA and Marquette to win both ACC and NCAA champion- ships later that season. Both coaches agreed that the first game that season, just after New Year's Day, meant practically nothing. At least that's what they said. It's not how they coached, with the Wolfpack using a pair of quick-draw Towe free throws to seal a 78-77 victory. "Didn't mean a thing," Sloan said afterward. "We still have two, maybe three, games to play against Carolina." What did Carolina's coach think? "It was a game we wanted badly," Smith said. "And we're terribly dis- appointed. There were a lot of crazy bounces — not many our way. What did it prove? That State is one point better than we are." A Close Win In Carmichael Two and a half weeks later, the Wolf- pack went to Chapel Hill looking to ex- tend its winning streak over the Tar Heels to six games at heated Carmi- chael Auditorium. The outcome was similarly close, 83-80, and Towe again was the hero, this time for his ball- handling and foul-evading skills. The Pack took the lead in the game 10 minutes into the first half and never trailed again, though the Tar Heels closed to within two points with 50 se co n d s re m a i n i n g . T h e 5 - fo o t -7 point guard darted around Carmi- chael's court like a pinball for 39 sec- onds without getting tackled, while the Tar Heels tried to stop the clock with a foul. "We wanted to commit a foul with 25 seconds left if we couldn't make a steal," Smith said. "But we never could catch Towe." They did catch Thompson, the All- America forward and future national player of the year. He made 1 of 2 free throws with 11 seconds to play to give his team the winning margin. Smith was left shaking his head about the impressive Pack. "This loss is not the end of the sea- son for us, but if State plays like they did tonight for the rest of the year, they may go undefeated [in the conference] again," the Hall of Fame coach said. "We tried everything possible, but State was just the better team." Sloan, as he did throughout the sea- son, tried to keep his team on an even keel, but he knew that winning in Cha- pel Hill was huge for his team's confi- dence. "It was a game that could have gone either way," he said. "I feel we're get- ting better all the time, and tonight's play bears me out, because we beat a great basketball team on their home floor." A Game Ball For Burleson The final game in the three-game set was at Reynolds Coliseum, and the outcome had a huge impact on the rest of the Pack's run for the school's first team national championship. Because Tommy Burleson came alive. The 7-foot-2 center from Newland, N.C., was held to just 3 points and 2 rebounds in the first half against an aggressive and physical North Caro- lina defense that gave the Heels a 34-32 lead at intermission. Sloan's halftime speech awakened his giant. B u rl e s o n s c o re d 1 9 p o i n ts a n d grabbed 9 rebounds in the second half and helped his team pull away for an 83-72 victory that was the most lop- sided in the Pack's nine-game winning streak against Smith's Heels. And Sloan did something he had never done in his coaching career: He gave Burleson the game ball. It was the first step in the sly coach's effort to inspire his emotional center, something that paid dividends later in the season against Maryland big man Len Elmore and UCLA center Bill Wal- ton. "He's one of the finest centers in the country," Sloan said. "I'm sick and tired of hearing people say he couldn't do this or that. We're a different team without him. "He's a heck of a player. I've never said much about him, but we've been undefeated in the conference the last two years, and this guy has been pri- marily responsible. "Sure, we have David Thompson and Monte Towe, but without the big man it would be awfully tough. I think he just got tired of hearing about the things he couldn't do. Right now, there is talk about who is going to make the all-conference team, and I've heard a lot of people say they didn't see how they could put him on it. "I don't see how anybody could be a sportswriter if you don't vote for Bur- leson." Well, the ACC media selected El- more as the top center in the league, and Sloan clipped a newspaper report in which the Terrapins' standout said something to the effect that it proved he was the league's best center. Sloan put that clipping in Burle- son's locker just before the 1974 ACC Tournament championship game in Greensboro. Burleson, just like he did in the second half against Carolina a few weeks before, went off, scoring 38 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and earn- ing his second consecutive tournament most valuable player award. It remains one of the finest perfor- mances in tournament history in a game that is remembered as the great- est college basketball game ever played. Two weeks later, Burleson's defense shut down Walton in the national semifinals, and he was an integral part of the title game win over Marquette. None of it would have happened, however, if he hadn't gotten that game ball against Carolina. ■ Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker and can be reached at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu. " He's a heck of a player. I've never said much about him, but we've been undefeated in the conference the last two years, and this guy has been primarily responsible. " NC State coach Norm Sloan on center Tommy Burleson