The NC State men’s basketball team’s 2014-15 regular season began with an all-too-familiar feel, but a surprise ending has both Wolfpack fans and players eager for the new season to begin. 

Back in October, the ACC held its annual preseason poll as the media in attendance voted on who it thought would win the conference this season. Perennial contenders and in-state rivals Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill were voted first and second, respectively. Where was the Wolfpack voted to finish? Ninth. In retrospect, the poll wasn’t the best indicator of success, but ninth wasn’t exactly an outlandish proposition.

Look back to the end of last season: After sneaking into the NCAA Tournament (the Pack was the last team selected to the field of 68), and falling in the second round to St. Louis, no one knew how the Pack would rebound in 2014-15.

2013-14 ACC Player of the Year T.J. Warren, a player who provided 35 percent of the Pack’s offense last season while averaging 24.9 points per game, left school early for the NBA. A transfer from Alabama and relatively unknown player to Wolfpack fans would get his shot in the fall, but no one knew how talented he would be. Needless to say, the expectations for the Pack outside Raleigh weren’t very high. 

One Sweet 16 appearance later and the Pack has become a trendy pick for both fans and pundits alike to contend in the ACC next season, maybe even win it. 

The 2014-15 season was more like a roller coaster ride than it was a smooth Sunday drive. The Wolfpack jumped out of the gate strong, posting an 8-1 record through its first nine games with wins over Boise State, Richmond and in-state rival Wake Forest. Then things began to look awry after a heartbreaking loss to Wofford Dec. 14, as the Wolfpack traded win for loss over the next few weeks. 

One of the highlights of the season, maybe THE highlight, came during that stretch in the form of an upset victory over undefeated, then-No. 2 ranked Duke at PNC Arena. 

Despite the marquee win over the Blue Devils, the Pack struggled to find itself, culminating in perhaps the worst stretch of the season. Following the tumultuous win-for-loss part of the season, the Pack took a major stumble, losing five of six games, including an embarrassing home loss to Clemson, and nail-biters to Notre Dame and Virginia. 

Following the home loss to the Tigers, one player began to turn his game around. During the remainder of the season, sophomore guard Anthony “Cat” Barber played his best basketball, averaging 15.3 points per game. Fueled by Barber’s play, freshman forward Abdul-Malik Abu and sophomore forward Lennard Freeman’s drastic improvement and junior guard Trevor Lacey’s clutch play, the Pack finished out the regular season winning six of its last nine games, including a surprising road win over Louisville. 

Another impressive feat for the Pack came during the season’s final stretch, on a frigid Tuesday night in February. The Wolfpack rolled into Chapel Hill and outplayed the Tar Heels in nearly every aspect of the game and earned its first road win against the Heels in 12 years. 

But the Pack wasn’t done defying odds. After earning an 8-seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Wolfpack matched up with the Tigers of Louisiana State University in the second round. The Pack was blindsided by Tigers’ athleticism and quickness, eventually falling behind by 16 in the second half. But State rallied and fought back to have a chance to win it late in the game. Enter sophomore forward BeeJay Anya. His last-second hook shot seemed to bounce every which way on the rim before falling and giving the Pack a 66-65 buzzer-beating win over the Tigers. 

Then came the matchup with the 1-seed Villanova Wildcats. The Wolfpack played one of its best games all season in the third round of the Big Dance, eventually knocking off the top-seeded Wildcats en route to a Sweet 16 berth. 

If you were to tell me five months ago that the Pack would win games on the road over Louisville and UNC, at home against Duke and in the Tournament against a 1-seed, I would have called you crazy. Following the accomplishments of the Wolfpack over the past season, basketball is once again relevant and prevalent in Raleigh and doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.