NC State men’s basketball is set to finish the last week of its season with a game against the Duke Blue Devils. Although the season has been less than what the red-and-white set out to achieve, the Wolfpack look to finish strong in its final rivalry game of the year.
Many people have already lost faith in the matchup, assuming Duke will win. However, the red-and-white have done crazier things before.
It’s been seven years since the Wolfpack pulled off one of the most improbable wins in school history, downing its Durham rival in what was supposed to be a down season for the red-and-white. The Blue Devils were rolling, and the Wolfpack was stumbling through conference games. However, in true NC State fashion, the team fought to victory in a game nobody could have predicted.
The Wolfpack began the season with an excellent 11-2 record in non-conference play, putting them in an excellent position by January. However, things took a turn for the worse when it lost five of the next seven conference games, instantly turning the season in the wrong direction. Reeling from a tough loss to Georgia Tech, the Wolfpack traveled to Cameron Indoor Stadium to take on head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his No. 17 ranked Blue Devils.
Duke was led by lottery prospect forward Jayson Tatum, along with sharpshooting guards Luke Kennard and Grayson Allen, all of whom are now NBA starters. Expectations were extremely low. The Wolfpack hadn’t won in Cameron since 1995. Nobody expected a close game, especially after the events of recent games.
The game started as expected. NC State went down 12 late in the first half, a lead that Duke was anticipated to hold on to for the rest of the game. But then-freshman guard Dennis Smith Jr. had other plans, spearheading a 20-5 run late in the second half to take the lead.
With five seconds left, the Blue Devils found themselves down by two but had possession with a chance to tie or win the game. In a poetic finish, Smith stole the ball from Tatum and, ignoring the final horn, threw down an emphatic dunk. The shot didn’t count, but the message was clear: the Wolfpack was going to fight, no matter the odds.
Smith shot 10-18 from the floor, resulting in a career-high 32 points, along with four rebounds, six assists and the game-sealing steal. Wolfpack forward Abdul-Malik Abu added 19 points, but make no mistake: Smith carried the team to victory.
Smith was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks and averaged 15.2 points his rookie year. He became a journeyman, playing for the Knicks, Pistons, Trail Blazers and Hornets over six years. Today, he is a solid role player for the Brooklyn Nets, averaging 10 points over his career.
He still provides highlight-reel dunks in games but has slowed down as his career has progressed. However, every Wolfpack fan and alumnus remembers his spark from his days in the City of Oaks. He had multiple 30-point games throughout his collegiate career, but none more memorable than the day he marched into Durham and dethroned Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils.
The Wolfpack finds itself in a similar position. A season that started strong in non-conference games has taken a turn for the worse after recent losses to Syracuse and Florida State. The only way to make the NCAA Tournament would be a complete sweep at the ACC Tournament. However, two heated rivalry games can provide an interesting ending to the season.
Much like before, the Wolfpack is led by a high-scoring point guard, in this case, graduate DJ Horne. Horne has averaged a career-high 17.5 points on the season, highlighted by multiple 30-point games against Wake Forest and Syracuse. Horne must lead his squad against a powerhouse Blue Devil team with potential NBA prospects Kyle Filipowski, Jeremy Roach and Jared McCain.
The situation is eerily similar to the one faced by Smith seven years ago. We know Horne can replicate the same scoring output as Smith, but has the advantage of playing in front of the Wolfpack fanbase. It is a monumental task, but who knows? History tends to repeat itself.
