If the shoe fits, then NC State has no plans to take it off anytime soon.
The No. 11 seeded Wolfpack have become the darlings of the NCAA Tournament in 2024, earning themselves a trip to the Final Four to battle against some of the country's best.
After capturing an unlikely ACC Tournament championship, NC State is still dancing thanks to their DJs — Burns Jr. and Horne — who have kept the music going for Kevin Keatts squad. In the process, they've drawn quite the parallel to their past, one that saw them become national champions in improbable fashion.
In their 28th NCAA Tournament and fourth Final Four appearance, NC State is packing their scissors for Phoenix, hoping that they'll be able to add another trophy to the case that's been collecting dust for quite some time.
The Sporting News looks at the history of NC State men's basketball from Final Four runs to the trophies that call Raleigh, N.C. home.
MORE: Last time NC State made the Final Four: Revisiting Wolfpack's 1983 Cinderella run with Jim Valvano
NC State basketball championship history
Has NC State ever won a basketball championship?
While they aren't considered among the best programs in college basketball, NC State has cut down the nets twice — 1974 and 1983 — in their history.
The 1983 team is the more celebrated team thanks to their Cinderella status and dramatic victory, whereas the 1974 team came in as the favorites and took care of business. The tournament that year also featured just 25 teams, which was more than doubled the next time NC State claimed the national championship.
When was NC State's last national championship?
NC State last won a national championship in 1983, defeating Houston 54-52 thanks to a buzzer-beating dunk by Lorenzo Charles.
The tournament only featured 52 teams at the time, but Jim Valvano's Wolfpack pulled off one of the biggest upsets in tournament history. In what is a shockingly similar path to the 2024 team, the 1983 version of the Wolfpack also needed to win the ACC Tournament just to make the NCAA Tournament.
The 1983 team was considered one of the greatest Cinderella stories in tournament history, but they could find themselves outdone by the 2024 team, who has navigated a set of challenges brought on by a new era of college basketball.
DECOURCY: The Miracle Before The Miracle: NC State's shocking 1983 ACC Tournament run
When was NC State's last Final Four appearance?
The Cold War was still raging on the last time NC State made the Final Four in 1983. McDonald's just introduced the McNugget, and Cabbage Patch Dolls were born. In other words, it's been a while.
It's said that history tends to repeat itself, and now, 41 years later, we might just be seeing NC State's moment come full circle.
