The Wolfpacker

46 ■ THE WOLFPACKER WHERE ARE THEY NOW? "I was the only one he ever presented it to," Worsley said proudly. "He wasn't able to attend the tournament the next year, when Steve Vascendak won it, and he died shortly after that. "That's something that will always be very special to me." The Wolfpack traveled to College Park, Maryland, for the NCAA tournament, but lost its opening game to Princeton. NC State won a consolation game against St. Joseph's to finish 21-5 overall. Worsley returned for his senior year the following season, but was never able to replicate his ACC tournament heroics. "I started the first 13-14 games," Worsley said. "Then we went out and played Ten- nessee, and we had a terrible game [a 65-54 loss]. I got benched after that. "I had lost my confidence and never did gain it back." The Pack finished second to Duke again in the ACC standings and lost to the Blue Devils in the tournament finals, in Marav- ich's last game as NC State's coach. Shortly after that season ended, Case passed away at his home in Raleigh's Cam- eron Village from the effects of terminal cancer. Worsley, 72, graduated with a degree in agricultural economics and returned to his hometown in the northeast corner of the state. He worked as a chemical sales repre- sentative serving the eastern half of North Carolina for nearly 50 years, retired and recently went back to work in a similar job. "I didn't like just sitting around," he said. He still lives in Oak City today. Worlsey and his teammates gathered back in February to celebrate the 50th an- niversary of their unlikely championship, a reunion organized by Biedenbach. Some of them hadn't been back since the day they graduated. They toured the modern campus, took one last look inside the old configuration of Reynolds Coliseum before renovations began and were recognized at halftime of the NC State-Syracuse basketball game at PNC Arena. Worsley brought his MVP award, which normally hangs on the wall in his house, with him to share with his teammates one more time. ■ Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker and can be reached at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu. B N K BASS NIXON & KENNEDY INC., CONSULTING ENGINEERS 6310 CHAPEL HILL ROAD STE 250, RALEIGH, NC 27607 PHONE: (919) 851-4422 ■ FAX: (919) 851-8968 ■ www.BNKinc.com Worsley was a junior reserve wing adjusting to a new style under recently promoted head coach Press Maravich when he won the ACC Tournament MVP in 1965. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE SPORTS INFORMATION "Going into the tail end of the season, I just had all the confidence in the world." ■ Worsley on the 1964-65 season

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