The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1519757
28 ■ THE WOLFPACKER 112 Rebounds by junior forward MOHAMED DIARRA in the postseason. Diarra opened the NCAA Tournament with three consecutive double-dou- bles, including an 11-point, 15-rebound performance against Marquette in the Sweet 16. He played at least 32 minutes in all of those games, and he did it while fasting in observance of Ramadan. 10th NC State's spot in the final Associated Press poll of the season. It was the first time at any point in the 2023-24 campaign that the Pack was ranked. It also marked the first time since placing 15th in 2004 that NC State ended the season in the Top 25. 14 Losses by NC State heading into the NCAA Tournament semifinals, the most ever by a Final Four qualifier. Prior to this year's late-season surge by the Pack, the most losses by a Final Four team were 13 by Syracuse in 2016. 34 Minutes (out of 165) in which NC State trailed in the NCAA Tournament leading up to the Final Four. During that dominant stretch, Duke led the most of any opponent with 21:20 in game time. Before that, NC State had not trailed for more than 6:50 in game time, which came against Texas Tech in the Round of 64. 105 Three-pointers made by graduate guard DJ Horne this season, an NC State single-season record. The Raleigh native had spent two seasons apiece at Illinois State and Arizona State, but he returned home to help spark a deep NCAA Tournament run in his final campaign. His three-point shooting was crucial to the Wolfpack's performance in the Big Dance. 137 Minutes in between the NC State men's and women's teams earning their spots in the Final Four on March 31. The women beat Texas, 76-66, in Portland, Ore., to start off one of the most memorable days in Wolfpack basketball history, then the men defeated Duke, 76-64, a little over two hours later. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS "NC State going to the Final Four this year is the most amazing thing I have ever seen in basket- ball. I was a freshman [at Duke] in 1983 when NC State won the national championship, but that wasn't as amazing as this is. What Kevin Keatts and his team have done is absolutely remarkable. It's the wildest ride I've ever seen in basketball, and I'm enjoying every minute of it. It's fantastic." — Jay Bilas, ESPN college basketball analyst "March is like a new season for everybody. Everybody is 0-0, and that's the mindset that I feel like my whole team approached it with." — Graduate guard DJ Horne "It's just a story not to be believed, it really isn't. They just kept getting better, better and better, and they didn't fatigue. It takes a great game manager to do that. To not only win those games, but somebody to manage the minutes because he doesn't have a bench. He doesn't play a lot of people. It takes not only a great coach, but a great game manager. I'm really proud of that with Kev, he's done a fabulous job." — St. John's coach Rick Pitino on KEVIN KEATTS, who spent three seasons on Pitino's staff at Louisville NUMBERS AND QUOTES