FSU Basketball: A FSU Fan's Guide to The Final Four
By Cole Maines
NC State Men's and Women's
Here we will focus on the easier teams to root against. The North Carolina State Wolfpack has typically always had a steady basketball program, especially on the women's side.
The men have had a lot of history in their own right. Famed coach Jimmy Valvano once led the program from 1980 until 1990. They had a national championship before, but during Valvano's time the Wolfpack were able to add another.
Overall the Men have been in the big dance 28 times, they have won 11 ACC Championships since helping establish the conference and hold the two aforementioned NCAA tournament trophies.
This season seemed to be ending early for the Men's team as they lost seven of their final 10 games. Miraculously, they went on to win the ACC tournament as the 10th seed, beating Duke in the quarterfinals and UNC in the finals while they won five straight games.
They saw the confetti fall and cut down the nets as they had to turn their attention to the NCAA tournament, where an automatic bid and a matchup with a highly touted Texas Tech team awaited.
The Wolfpack won that game, beat Oakland (ending their cinderella run early), then beat Marquette and Duke once more. They simply cannont be stopped right now as they have a team of destiny feel that has stumped all opponents so far, but does Zack Edey and the tournament favorites Purdue have an answer?
The Women's team has had a history of success in the ACC under legendary coach Kay Yow and current coach Wes Moore. Despite seven conference tournament championships, six regular season conference chapionships, and 32 NCAA tournament appearances, the women's program has yet to win a national championship.
Is this the Wolfpack's year? Unfortunately, they lost to Notre Dame in the ACC tournament and couldn't claim a championship there but got a favorable three-seed in the NCAA tournament. They beat everyone they should have in the tournament, including a win over Tennessee, and also beat Stanford who was a two-seed and top-seeded Texas.
Now they face Coach Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks, who have turned into an powerhouse in the women's game.
Credit to both teams and players, however, FSU fans should probablaby root against them as the Seminoles are engrained in a serious legal battle with the Atlantic Coast Conference as Florida State attempts to leave the conference.
Because of that, I hope no ACC team wins either National Championship, especially NC State as athletic director Boo Corigan has become infamous to Florida State fans for his role in the historic College Football Playoff snub of FSU this past season.