Hallie Walker
Graduate guard Casey Morsell walks off the court after the NCAA Tournament Final Four game against Purdue at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Morsell made five rebounds, two assists and one block. NC State lost to Purdue 63-50.
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Graduate guard DJ Horne missed a mid-range jump shot early in the second half then came up short on a 3-pointer. A couple minutes later, junior guard Breon Pass misfired on a 3-pointer, and Horne once again failed to knock down a pull-up jumper.
Those missed opportunities all came during a nearly five minute Purdue (34-4) scoring drought, and if a few of those shots had gone in, the Wolfpack (26-15) would have had the lead in the second half. During the Pack’s magical run, these shots always seemed to fall, but the magic ran out in a 63-50 loss at State Farm Stadium in the Final Four.
“I think one of our biggest differences is some of the shots we normally make, we didn’t make in the game,” said head coach Kevin Keatts.
Despite falling in the national semifinal like each of the past four No. 11 seeds before it, this NC State team will never be forgotten, much like the 1974 and 1983 championship teams.
Fans will reminisce about graduate forward DJ Burns’ footwork and the massive grin he always played with. Graduate guard Michael O’Connell’s shot against Virginia in the ACC Tournament semifinal will be replayed every year like Lorenzo Charles’ game-winning dunk in the 1983 National Championship.
Horne will forever be a legend in Raleigh for dropping 29 points on UNC-Chapel Hill in the ACC Championship game and for flipping off a ref with both hands in a win over Wake Forest. Junior forward Mohamed Diarra’s dominance during the month of March while fasting for Ramadan will be a story passed along for generations.
“These guys are champions,” Keatts said.
Graduate guard Casey Morsell, NC State’s longest tenured player, reflected on his three-year journey with the Wolfpack after his final game. In his first year with the Pack, it had its worst season in program history with an 11-21 record and 4-16 conference record.
After a miserable first season in Raleigh, he was a key piece in getting NC State back to the NCAA Tournament, but he was still hungry for more in his last season. When Morsell transferred to NC State from Virginia, his goal was to bring an ACC title back to the City of Oaks, and he helped accomplish that in his last season.
“Oh my gosh,” Morsell said when thinking about the ups and downs he went through while wearing a Wolfpack uniform. After pausing to think, he continued to talk about what this team and run meant to him.
“We’ll never forget this run, never forget these memories on this run — the ups and downs,” Morsell said. “It helped me both on and off the court, and without these guys, I wouldn’t be who I am today, would have never been able to grow.”
Morsell paused once again thinking about how his team went from having a head coach that was most certainly about to be fired to winning nine straight elimination games on the way to the Final Four.
“There was so much outside noise about coach and everyone else,” Morsell said. “To see the story, going on and winning nine straight, putting us in a position to do what we’ve done is something that I will always value and value forever.”
The run capped off a journey for the Pack that won’t be forgotten inside the locker room. With seven transfers joining the program this year, things weren’t always easy for the team. However, with their backs against the wall, the entire team banded together to make a historic run — all while building tight-knit bonds.
“These are my brothers for life now,” Pass said. “You know this run brought us together, you can’t break us apart no more.”
This team chemistry was on full display after O’Connell suffered a hamstring injury. O’Connell trusted Pass to take his place on the court and be the point guard on the biggest stage in basketball. During eight minutes of action, Pass played calm and collected, while scoring a pair of much-needed baskets.
“It was huge, he’s a great player,” O’Connell said. “I wasn’t worried when he was going out there, I knew he could go play, make plays happen. I’m definitely proud of him for going out there and competing.”
Even with the incredible team chemistry, the Wolfpack faced its share of adversity. From dealing with Purdue’s 7-foot-4 star center Zach Edey to O’Connell’s injury, NC State found itself in an unbelievably difficult matchup. While the Pack couldn’t overcome all these challenges to win the game, it left its mark as a historic squad that handled adversity well throughout its run to the Final Four.
“I don’t know that I could be more prouder of a group of men that I’ve ever coached in my life,” Keatts said. “Adversity, you name it, situations, you name it, hard times, you name it. They found a way to win the ACC. They found a way to make it to the Final Four.”
In addition to dealing with tough situations, the team also made sure to pour everything out during this run. Facing elimination in ten straight games, the Pack left it all on the court.
“We give everything we got,” Diarra said. “That’s why we got no regrets. We’re sad cause we lose, but we have no regrets.”
After the impressive run to the Final Four, NC State put its name on the map. After etching its name in history, the Wolfpack enters the offseason with more momentum as it has had in a long time.
“NC State definitely has a name now,” Pass said. “Everybody know who we is, everybody know how we play, everybody know what we do. I feel like that postseason run that we did boosted everything for NC State, not just the basketball team but the campus as well.”