N.C. State is in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2005. Their hope, just as every remaining team, is to advance to the Elite Eight, Final Four and then the championship game.
The idea that State could make it to the Final Four is not farfetched. There is history, albeit slim, of 11 seeds that have made it to the Final Four since the tournament switched to a 64-plus team tournament.
As we all know, State was the last team selected to the NCAA tournament, but was not the last team in. Instead, State received an 11th seed, which many Wolfpack fans thought was a little high considering teams State defeated during the season were ranked lower. But, considering the history of the NCAA tournament since 1979, the 11th seed may be a blessing.
Let’s all be honest. We knew the Pack would not be ranked lower than an 8 seed. But an 11th seed now seems perfect. There have only been four years where there was a team ranked higher than an 8 seed in the Final Four. Three out of those four years, the “Cinderella” team in the Final Four was an 11 seed. Those teams were LSU in 1986, George Mason in 2006 and VCU in 2011.
In 1986, 11th seed LSU defeated 6th seeded Purdue by 7 in the first round, 3rd seeded Memphis State by a mere basket in the second round, and beat the 2nd seeded Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets by 6 in the Sweet Sixteen.
Going into the Elite Eight, LSU faced a No. 1 seeded Kentucky team that was heavily favored over the lowly Tigers. Kentucky had swept the Tigers during the SEC regular season and beat them again in the SEC tournament.
The Tigers pulled off their biggest upset of the year, beating Kentucky by 2 to advance to the Final Four, where they lost to Louisville, who would go on to win the national championship game. In the same year, 6th seeded N.C. State lost to the No. 1 seed Kansas in the Elite Eight.
In 2006, George Mason, also the 11th seed, faced 6th seed Michigan State in the first round. George Mason defeated the Spartans by 10, setting up a matchup between the Patriots and 3rd seed UNC Tarheels. The Patriots again pulled off the upset, stunning UNC by a final score of 65-60.
In the Sweet Sixteen, George Mason faced an underrated Wichita State team but jumped out to an early lead. George Mason proved victorious again by a score of 63-55 setting them up against 1st seeded UCONN. UCONN was regarded as one of the favorites to win the national championship all year long, setting George Mason as the underdog for the fourth-straight game.
The Patriots pulled off their biggest upset of the season, defeating UCONN by 2 in overtime. George Mason lost in the Final Four to Florida, who won the 2006 national championship. N.C. State also made the tournament as a 10 seed and lost to 2nd seed Texas in the round of 32.
Just last year, 11 seeded VCU made a spectacular run to the Final Four, sparked by cohesive team play and strategic coaching. VCU blew its first two opponents out of the water, winning each game by 18 points — first against 6th seeded Georgetown, then against 3rd seeded Purdue.
VCU then beat 10th seeded Florida State by one point, 72-71, in the Sweet Sixteen to face the 1st seeded Kansas Jayhawks. VCU continued its winning ways, defeating Kansas by 10 to advance to the Final Four. Last year marked the first time in tournament history that a 1 or 2 seed did not make the Final Four. VCU lost to Butler by eight, 62-70.
The Pack seeks to become the fourth team to make the Final Four as an 11 seed, but will have to beat Kansas and the winner of the UNC/Ohio game. If State and Carolina both advance, this will set up the fourth game of the year between the two teams.
Just like the 1986 LSU Tigers, could the Pack defeat a 6 seed, a 3 seed, and then defeat a 1 seed that swept them during the regular season as well as the conference tournament? Will the fourth time be the charm? First thing’s first. The Pack will have to play another hard fought game against the Kansas Jayhawks, Friday night at 10:17 pm.