Most analysts thought going into the ACC Tournament that the NC State Wolfpack, despite a 9-7 record in the ACC, would need a couple of victories to earn a birth into the NCAA Tournament. After the No. 5 seeded Pack defeated the No. 4 seeded Virginia Cavaliers, they got that second win – and one over a good team.
The Wolfpack defeated the Cavaliers 67-64 despite making just eight of 18 free throw attempts.
The win in the first round against Boston College may have been enough to get State into the tourney depending on what happens with other games across the country but the win against the Cavaliers gives the Wolfpack a very strong case. One of the things the selection committee looks for is how a team finishes the season, and a good showing the ACC Tournament is helpful. An upset of No. 1 ranked North Carolina on Saturday afternoon would erase any doubt about the Wolfpack getting into the NCAA Tournament.
State now stands at 22-11 and will likely go to the tournament, under first-year coach Mark Gottfried, for the first time in nearly a decade.