Four months ago, all hope seemed lost for NC State women’s basketball. Sitting at 4-3 without a win against a Power Four school, it seemed as though this iteration of the Wolfpack didn’t have what it took to repeat last year’s Final Four run. But head coach Wes Moore has the fourth most all-time wins amongst active D1 college coaches for a reason.

Fast forward to today and the Wolfpack sits just six games away from greatness. Not only did it turn its poor beginning of the season into a 26-6 overall record, a 16-2 conference record and an ACC regular-season title, but NC State was named a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, meaning it gets to host the first two rounds of its region for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

“I’m proud of this team for being able to secure a home bid,” Moore said. “That’s probably the thing that keeps me up at night more than anything else, trying to secure one of those top 16 spots and that’s based on your body of work for the whole season. Every game is so critical. I’m proud of this team for being able to put themselves in that position.”

Home court advantage is valuable, but for NC State, it’s everything. The Wolfpack went undefeated during the regular season when playing in Reynolds Coliseum and holds a 21-game home win streak dating back to last season. With the Wolfpack faithful roaring it to victory, the red-and-white is one of the hottest teams in the nation. But Moore knows his team can’t take it for granted.

“It’s great to be at home,” Moore said. “It’s great that our team has earned that opportunity for us, but at this point, that doesn’t guarantee you anything. You got to go out and perform.”

Though it faces a No. 15 seed in the first round, Vermont isn’t a team to be trifled with. The Catamounts hold claim to the fourth-best scoring defense in the nation, holding their opponents to just 52.2 points per game. Furthermore, NC State is catching Vermont at its hottest. After beginning the season with a 5-10 record, Vermont won 16 of its final 18 games. If there is one thing that NC State fans learned from last year’s Final Four run, it’s that momentum is everything in college basketball.

“There’s a lot more parity in our game,” Moore said. “Last year, we were fortunate. We got hot and got on a roll and went through the juggernaut of Tennessee, Stanford and Texas to get to the Final Four. I think there’s more parity in our game and more excitement.”

The Spokane, Washington region is filled with a plethora of talented interior scorers, including No. 1 UCLA’s Lauren Betts, No. 3 LSU’s Aneesah Morrow and No. 4 Baylor’s Aaronette Vonleh. For NC State to emerge from its region victorious, it will need to rely heavily on its freshmen, especially forward Tilda Trygger and center Lorena Awou — two key cogs in NC State’s turnaround from its early struggles.

As freshmen, Trygger and Awou were supposed to come off the bench and learn from their veteran counterparts. But Moore’s hand was forced after injuries to his other post players, forcing his freshmen to grow up fast. It took a couple of games, but Trygger is playing her best ball of the season. She looked confident and composed against UNC-Chapel Hill in the ACC Tournament, scoring the Wolfpack’s first eight points. As for Awou, her size and physicality will be required to slow down those dominant post players and give the Wolfpack defense a fighting chance.

“Those kids have stepped up,” Moore said. “Think about them being in the fire in some big games this year and coming through. It’s pretty amazing for freshmen. It’s gonna be their first time to dip their toes in the NCAA waters, so it’s going to be a big challenge as well.”

More than anything, spirits are high in Raleigh. The team was shown dancing in celebration after hearing its name called during Selection Sunday. The excited buzz that once flooded the City of Oaks last season has returned. Amidst brackets, upsets and everything else that comes with college basketball in March, Moore knows an upbeat team is the key to success.

“Some people call it March Madness, but I like calling it March Gladness,” Moore said. “This is what you’ve worked for all year. Our kids are really excited and they’re used to playing in big games and performing on the stage. I feel good where we’re at.”

NC State women’s basketball begins its quest for greatness Saturday against Vermont. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN.