DALLAS -- No. 11 seed NC State is dancing its way to the Final Four for the fourth time in school history and first time since 1983 after upsetting ACC rival and crosstown rival Duke in a 74-64 thriller in the Elite Eight on Sunday. The Wolfpack trailed the majority of the game but chipped away at the margin as the game went on before opening up a double-digit lead and busting it wide open in the final minutes.
NC State star DJ Burns Jr. had a career performance and an all-time March Madness moment with 29 points to lead the Pack past No. 4 seed Duke. Burns had a strong eight points in the first half but took over in the second half as Duke struggled to defend his size.
Blue Devils star Kyle Filipowski fouled out of the game with 4:52 remaining after briefly flirting with foul trouble with four fouls. Mark Mitchell and Ryan Young primarily drew defensive duties on Burns in his absence, and neither could keep in front of his burly frame and sweet feet.
NC State's dream run to the Final Four almost didn't happen at all after a 9-11 finish to ACC play in the regular season. The Wolfpack then won five games in five days in the ACC Tournament to earn the league's automatic NCAA Tournament berth before winning three of its four March Madness games as an underdog.
Wolfpack keeps winning in March
Around this time three weeks ago, NC State looked like they were heading toward the NIT. The Wolfpack had just dropped their fourth straight game to close the regular season and needed an improbable run at the ACC Tournament to advance to the Big Dance. NC State proceeded to win five games in five days to secure the automatic bid and then knocked off No. 6 seed Texas Tech, No. 14 seed Oakland, No. 2 seed Marquette and No. 4 seed Duke in the NCAA Tournament to reach the Final Four for the first time since 1983. The Wolfpack are the sixth No. 11 seed since 1979 to advance to the national semifinals.
The legend of Burns grows
Burns is becoming a March Madness legend before our eyes. The NC State star began his career at Tennessee before transferring to Winthrop after his freshman season. He played three seasons with the Eagles before transferring a third time at his final stop: NC State. Burns plays with a passionate fire that energizes teammates. He's also extremely hard to stop down low. Burns will likely get the Zach Edey assignment when NC State faces Purdue next weekend. If NC State is going to slow down the reigning national player of the year, it starts with Burns staying out of foul trouble. That gives NC State the best chance of pulling off another upset.
Duke's McCain shines, Proctor struggles
McCain routinely played like Duke's best player in the final two months of the regular season. He was also the best player on the floor for the No. 4 seed throughout the NCAA Tournament. McCain finished with 32 points and connected on 5 of 11 attempts from distance. It's very likely that McCain at least puts his name in the 2024 NBA Draft, where he projects as a first-round pick. McCain's backcourt mate, Proctor, had a game to forget. Proctor finished with zero points and missed all nine of his field-goal attempts. Throughout the season, Proctor disappeared in big moments, and this was the latest example of it. Proctor projects as a first-round pick this summer, and his stay-or-go decision will loom large for the Blue Devils' program.
