After NC State’s defeat at the hands of Kansas, Coach Mark Gottfried said he and the team was crushed but he said he hopes the team focuses on where the team started compared to where they ended up. The first year coach took the Wolfpack to the Sweet 16 for the first time in nearly a decade and to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years.
“I’m extremely proud. One thing I said to our guys was the entire Wolfpack nation, whether alumni, the city of Raleigh, our community, these guys helped generate some excitement for our school. And I said thank you for that. We were disappointed today but we’ll step back and look at what was accomplished.”
– Mark Gottfried, NC State head coach
“Much of the talk leading into the Midwest Region semifinal between No. 3 seed Kansas and No. 11 seed North Carolina centered around the Wolfpack’s late-season resurgence, a run that had conjured up memories of Jim Valvano and the school’s glory days. But what became apparent Friday night after Kansas held on late for a 60-57 victory is that the Jayhawks are in the midst of their own resurrection – progressing from a team many felt would be Coach Bill Self’s least talented since coming to Lawrence, Kan., in 2003 into a squad that suddenly finds itself on the cusp of the Final Four.”
– Mark Giannotto, The Washington Post
“N.C. State (24-13) went from one of the last at-large teams in the NCAA tournament field to the Sweet 16 but could not get back to its first Final Eight appearance since 1986. N.C. State, riding a rocket of confidence, led by 10 points early and 33-32 at the half, with 12 first-half points from sophomore forward C.J. Leslie. Foul trouble early in the second half for Leslie, in perhaps his last college game, derailed the Pack’s upset hopes. Kansas started the second half with a 12-2 run to take control of the game.”
– J.P. Giglio, The News & Observer
“We knew we could be a really dangerous team and we started to click near the end of the year. We ended up making it to the Sweet 16 but especially from the guys we are not satisfied. We have some good talent coming in and some good talent returning so hopefully next year we can build on this.”
– Scott Wood, NC State player