North Carolina State became the sixth 11-seed in college basketball history to reach the Final Four of March Madness with a win over Duke on Sunday. It is the Wolfpack’s fourth appearance.
They would not be in this position if not for one missed free throw on March 15.
N.C. State’s season likely would have ended on a make. Instead, the miss changed the course of history!
At 20-14, the Wolfpack received a No. 10 seed in the ACC Tournament. They were forced to play in the First Round on Tuesday as a result.
A win over Louisville propelled them into the Second Round. A win over Syracuse propelled them into the Quarterfinals. No team in history had ever reached the Semifinals on Friday after starting their week on Tuesday.
North Carolina State changed that record by beating Duke on Thursday. And then it faced Virginia.
The Cavaliers held a three-point lead with 5.3 seconds left in regulation. Sophomore guard Isaac McKneely was at the free throw line with a chance to all-but win the game with a make on his second shot.
He missed.
The Wolfpack took the ball up the court and drained a triple that rattled all of the way around the rim to tie the game at the buzzer. It was electric.
If McKneely had made the free throw, North Carolina State was not even going to make the NIT. His miss left the door open, which ultimately sparked one of the greatest runs in college basketball history.
It might be the greatest run in college basketball history.
A team that was going to miss the postseason all together rattled off wins against UNC, Texas Tech, Oakland, Marquette and Duke. The Wolfpack will play 1-seed Purdue as an 11-seed for a chance to compete for a national title.
All because of a missed free throw on March 15!