The Wolfpack are roaring onto the Final Four.
No. 11 NC State on Sunday stunned No. 4 Duke 76-64 in their Elite Eight matchup of the 2024 men's NCAA Tournament, further solidifying the program as this year's main Cinderella team.
The first 20 minutes was a low-scoring affair that saw NC State trailing 27-21.
However, the second half was a completely different story as the Wolfpack hunted Duke on both ends of the floor, outscoring a robust Blue Devils defense 55-37.
Senior guard DJ Horne scored 18 points on 7-for-16 shooting for NC State, but the primary star was senior big man DJ Burns Jr.
After a quiet game scoring wise when NC State upset No. 2 Marquette in the Sweet 16, Burns Jr. dropped 29 points on 13-for-19 shooting overall and 3-for-4 from the free throw line to go with four rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Potential top draft pick Kyle Filipowski had a game to forget, fouling out early after recording 11 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one steal on 3-for-11 shooting overall, 0-for-3 from deep and 5-for-5 from the foul line.
Freshman guard Jared McCain led Duke with 32 points thanks to going 5-for-11 from deep and 11-for-11 from the foul line, but it wasn't enough.
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It's the Wolfpack's first time reaching the men's Final Four since 1983. They also did so in 1950 and 1974.
NC State made the Big Dance in 2023 as a No. 11 seed but fell to No. 6 Creighton 72-63 in the first round.
The Wolfpack will now play No. 1 Purdue in the Final Four on Saturday, April 6. If they win, No. 1 UConn or No. 4 Alabama will be their opponent in the national championship game.
