50 Years Later, (Also 41), North Carolina State Wins The A.C.C. Tournament

Last night, North Carolina State completed a highly improbable, tournament “run” to qualify for the 68 team NCAA Tournament, whose field will be announced today.

N.C. State upset Duke in the “quarters” and won the final round tilt vs North Carolina last night. They also won as favorites vs Louisville and Syracuse and as a small underdog vs Virginia.

On Saturday night March 9th, 1974, in the last year only conference winners qualified for the NCAA Tournament, N.C. State won a classic game, A.C.C. Tournament final game, vs an excellent Maryland team.

“State” eventually won it all, surviving Pittsburgh and their great star, Billy Knight and a scary fall by the great, great N.C. State player and future NBA star, David Thompson 50 years ago yesterday, in the regional final.

It was the next Saturday, that North Carolina State, in a virtual home game, defeated 7 time defending champion, U.C.L.A. in another classic game, that a semi-final/virtual final round game.

The Norm Sloan coached “Wolfpack” claimed the crown on Monday night 3/25/1974, with a win vs the Al McGuire coached Marquette Warriors.

In 1983, under coach Jim Valvano, “State” had to win the ACC Tournament, did so and with a season ending 10 game win skein (1 “reg”, 3 ACC Tournament and 6 NCAA Tournament), including some classic ones, topped and capped off by a Lo Charles, title winning dunk, to break a tie vs heavily favored Houston in the final, and captured their second crown.

The 1973-1974 North Carolina State title winning basketball team is pictured above.

Holding basketballs and seated in the front row are #44 David Thompson and I believe, Monte Towe.