Why not us?

That’s the mantra NC State men’s basketball carried into the ACC Tournament, despite ending the regular season on a four-game losing streak and having lost seven of its past nine games. At first, it seemed like a corny catchphrase for a team looking for any sort of hope, especially given how poor the Wolfpack was playing before the tournament.

But after it overcame a double-digit deficit to Louisville in the first round and took care of Syracuse in the second round, those three words didn’t just spark belief for members of the team, but all of Wolfpack Nation.

It gave NC State a seemingly delusional confidence that it could beat anyone, and it proved that when it took down Duke in the third round as heavy underdogs. The Wolfpack took down the Blue Devils despite playing its third game in three days, while Duke was playing its first.

Why not us?

This message started to carry real weight after the win over the Blue Devils, and despite Virginia having a two-day rest advantage in the semifinals, it felt like the Wolfpack was the favorite against the Cavaliers. While it needed a miracle shot from graduate guard Michael O’Connell, the Pack moved on to the championship game against UNC-Chapel Hill.

Now, there was an overwhelming belief that NC State could raise the tournament trophy thanks in part to the team rallying around the question: Why not us?

And that irrational swagger culminated in an ACC Championship as the Wolfpack (22-14, 9-11 ACC) defeated the No. 1 seed Tar Heels (27-7, 17-3 ACC) 84-76 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

It makes NC State the first team in ACC Tournament history to win five games in five days, and it’s the second school ever to win five straight games for a conference championship. The other school was 2011 UConn, led by Kemba Walker — and all it did was win the national championship.

It also marks the Pack’s first ACC championship since 1987 when Jim Valvano was manning the sidelines for NC State. Speaking of coaches, head coach Kevin Keatts was under fire all season for what appeared to be another missed NCAA Tournament during his tenure. Rumors swirled that Keatts would be fired if NC State didn’t win the conference title, so he decided he wanted to keep his job and won the whole damn thing.

In just five days, Keatts went from public enemy No. 1 in Raleigh to Pack fans wanting to give him a lifetime contract. While it’s not a lifetime deal, Keatts gets an automatic two-year extension for winning the conference crown.

While graduate guard DJ Horne and graduate forward DJ Burns combined for 49 points against the Tar Heels, NC State pulled off the miraculous feat of winning five games in five days with a full team effort.

Junior forward Mohamed Diarra pulled down the most rebounds in ACC Tournament history and capped off his dominant run with an 11-point, 14-rebound performance against the Tar Heels. Diarra was the hardest working player on the court every game, all while observing Ramadan. His infectious energy and passion gave the Wolfpack life despite running on fumes the last couple of days.

Then there’s graduate guard Michael O’Connell, who suddenly emerged as a reliable scorer for NC State. The Stanford transfer scored in double figures in all five games after just doing it three times in the regular season. His offensive explosion earned him the nickname “Tournament Mike,” and of course, he’ll forever be an NC State legend after hitting the shot of all shots in the semifinal.

By now, you know how improbable it is to win five games in five days and how physically taxing it is. It showed in the championship game, when graduate guard Casey Morsell was in and out of the game with cramps and a groin injury. Despite running on empty, Morsell continued to fight, playing pest-like defense on Tar Heels superstar RJ Davis.

Davis scored a game-high 30 points, but Morsell made him work for every single shot, causing Davis to shoot just 10-26 from the field and 4-13 from 3. While giving his all on defense and managing injuries, Morsell hit a clutch 3-pointer with just over minutes left to give the Wolfpack an eight-point lead.

Finally, there are the two DJs who have carried NC State all season and had their best performances in the biggest game. Burns poured in 20 points while also doing his best Nikola Jokic impression, dishing out seven assists with six of them coming in the first half.

As for Horne, tears flowed down his face after the final buzzer rang, realizing he brought a championship to his hometown after a gutsy 29-point game in the final. After missing the first round due to injury, Horne looked no worse for wear the rest of the way, scoring 16 or more in three of the four games he played.

With a ticket punched to the NCAA Tournament, NC State gets a stress-free Selection Sunday. All the Wolfpack has to worry about is where to buy plane tickets after the committee determines what seed it is and what region it plays in.

Now, NC State will try to end its season on an 11-game winning streak, needing to win six in a row for the National Championship. And one thing’s for sure, the Wolfpack will continue to rally behind three words.

Why not us?