NC State just keeps on marching.
The Wolfpack’s Cinderella story isn’t done yet, handling ACC-rival Duke in the Elite Eight to punch their ticket to the Final Four for the first time since 1983.
Their NCAA Tournament run is as improbable as they come, needing an ACC Tournament championship to even have a shot at qualifying for March Madness. NC State turned that desperation into five wins in five days, taking down North Carolina in the ACC title game to secure an automatic bid.
MORE: How NC State coach Kevin Keatts picked up massive bonuses during Final Four run
NC State hasn’t cooled off yet, extending its win streak to nine games after defeating Texas Tech, Oakland, Marquette, and now Duke to become the sixth No. 11 seed to ever reach the Final Four.
Lowest seeds to make the Final Four
Just one year after No. 9 Florida Atlantic made a Cinderella run to the Final Four, No. 11 NC State has matched that magic.
The Wolfpack are just the seventh double-digit seed to reach the Final Four, tied with five other programs as the lowest-ranked team to make the national semifinals.
If NC State can pull off an upset win over No. 1 Purdue, it will be the lowest seed to ever reach the national championship.
| Seed | Team | Year | Final result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Villanova | 1985 | National championship win (66-64 over Georgetown) |
| North Carolina | 2000 | Final Four loss (71-59 to Florida) | |
| Wisconsin | 2000 | Final Four loss (53-41 to Michigan State) | |
| Butler | 2011 | National championship loss (53-41 to UConn) | |
| Kentucky | 2014 | National championship loss (60-54 to UConn) | |
| 9 | Wichita State | 2013 | Final Four loss (72-68 to Louisville) |
| Florida Atlantic | 2023 | Final Four loss (72-71 to San Diego State) | |
| 10 | Syracuse | 2016 | Final Four loss (83-66 to North Carolina) |
| 11 | LSU | 1986 | Final Four loss (88-77 to Louisville) |
| George Mason | 2006 | Final Four loss (73-58 to Florida) | |
| VCU* | 2011 | Final Four loss (70-62 to Butler) | |
| Loyola Chicago | 2018 | Final Four loss (69-57 to Michigan) | |
| UCLA* | 2021 | Final Four loss (93-90 to Gonzaga in overtime) | |
| NC State | 2024 | TBD |
Lowest seeds to make the NCAA national championship
Of the 13 teams that have made the Final Four, only three of them advanced to the national championship game — No. 8 Villanova in 1985, No. 8 Butler in 2011 and No. 8 Kentucky in 2014.
Of those three teams, only Villanova went on to win the national championship, defeating Georgetown 66-64.
MORE: Comparing NC State’s March Madness run to Jim Valvano’s 1983 national title team
Lowest seeds to win the NCAA national championship
No. 8 Villanova is the lowest seed to ever win a national championship after defeating Georgetown in the 1985 title game.
That means if No. 11 NC State can run the table, it will surpass Villanova as the lowest seed to ever win the NCAA title.
