It had been 41 years since NC State last reached the Final Four when the Wolfpack knocked off Duke and punched their ticket to Arizona.
While nothing is guaranteed in college basketball, it seemed like a pretty safe bet in early March that NC State's drought would extend to at least 42 years. That was before the Wolfpack rattled off nine consecutive wins, starting with a stunning ACC Tournament run, to go from an underwhelming 17-14 to a historic 26-14.
While NC State went more than four decades without a Final Four appearance, plenty of NBA-caliber talent passed through Raleigh in the interim — including two first-round picks from the past 10 drafts.
Here's a look at some of the best NBA players who played at NC State.
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Best NBA players from NC State
David Thompson
Thompson is an NC State legend, having won a national championship with the Wolfpack in 1974 as one of the nation's most dominant players. He took that dominance into the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the 1975 draft.
Thompson averages north of 25 points per game in each of his first three seasons with the Nuggets, earning 1975-96 Rookie of the Year honor and finishing second in MVP voting as a rookie.
A five-time All-Star, Thompson struggled in 1981-82 and was dealt to the Sonics to finish his career. Substance abuse issues and a knee injury cut Thompson's career short after only nine seasons, with the guard coming off the bench in his final campaign.
T.J. Warren
Warren was selected 14th overall out of NC State by the Suns in 2014. He emerged as a starter in his third season, averaging a career-high 19.6 points per game a year later in 2017-18.
Warren was a key scorer with the Pacers after his time in Phoenix, but he's been relegated to the bench at different stops over the past two seasons. Warren recently joined the Timberwolves but has played sparingly.
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Dennis Smith Jr.
Smith was the highest-rated recruit landed by former NC State coach Mark Gottfried, though he predictably only stayed for one season with his NBA Draft stock firmly in the lottery.
Smith was selected ninth overall by the Mavericks in 2017, posting 15.2 points and 5.1 assists per game as a rookie but struggling with efficiency.
The Mavericks traded Smith to New York in the Kristaps Porzingis deal during his second season, and the young guard wasn't able to cement himself as an NBA starter. Smith is now with his sixth NBA team as a role player for the Nets.
Spud Webb
Webb is best known for winning the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest despite standing just 5-7. He also carved out an NBA career that lasted more than a decade.
Webb, drafted in 1985, spent his first six seasons with the Hawks before setting a career high with 16 points per game in his first season with the Kings. He averaged 9.9 points and 5.3 assists across 12 NBA seasons.
Tom Gugliotta
Gugliotta was the sixth overall pick of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets, though he would spend less than three seasons of his 13-year career with the franchise.
The forward made a name for himself in Minnesota, averaging 20.6 points and earning his first All-Star selection with the Timberwolves in 1996-97. Gugliotta would spend parts of six seasons with the Suns and finished his career with the Celtics and Hawks in 2004-05.
Gugliotta averaged 13.0 points and 7.3 rebounds over 13 NBA seasons.
Nate McMillan
McMillan was a second-round pick of the Sonics in 1986, but he earned two All-Defensive Team selections across his 12 NBA seasons.
The point guard spent his entire time in the NBA with Seattle, leading the NBA in steals per game in 1993-94 and racking up 1,544 total steals in his career. Never much of a scorer, McMillan averaged only 5.9 points per game but did the little things that allowed him to stick in the NBA for more than a decade.
McMillan has been an NBA head coach at four different stops, most recently with the Hawks until his firing in 2023.
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J.J. Hickson
Hickson was drafted 19th overall out of NC State by the Cavaliers in 2008. He turned in a strong season after LeBron James left Cleveland, posting 13.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in 2010-11, and Hickson averaged a double-double with the Trail Blazers in 2012-13.
Hickson's last NBA action came in 2016 as a member of the Wizards. He appeared in 534 NBA games, averaging 9.5 points and 6.8 assists.
Cody Martin
Martin is in his fifth season with the Hornets after Charlotte selected him in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft. He started 22 of his 28 games this season, averaging 7.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, but has been out long-term with an ankle injury.
Martin, like his twin brother, Caleb, didn't finish his college career at NC State. The Martin twins instead helped revive Nevada's program under Eric Musselman, getting as far as the Sweet 16 in 2019.
Caleb Martin
The other Martin twin was the better scorer in college, mostly shining through at Nevada, but he went undrafted in 2019. That didn't stop him from emerging as a key rotation piece on a contender.
Martin established himself as a huge part of the Heat's playoff success in both 2022 and 2023, averaging a career-high 9.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in 2022-23, and he's on track to set another career-high with 10.1 points per game for Miami this season.
Thurl Bailey
Bailey was a member of NC State's 1983 championship team, earning his way to the seventh overall pick of the 1983 NBA Draft. He spent his first eight-plus seasons with the Jazz, emerging as one of the league's better sixth men and finishing as the runner-up for the award twice.
Bailey averaged 12.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game across 12 NBA seasons, briefly returning to the Jazz to finish his career in 1998-99 after four seasons playing overseas.
