The facts: N.C . State played in the ACC tournament against Boston College, moved past the second round against Virginia only to lose in the semi-finals to UNC .

Our opinion: N.C . State Men’s Basketball has improved this season and will continue to do so.

While students were taking time off for spring break, N.C. State’s men’s basketball team was playing their way through the ACC Tournament. With a controversial loss to UNC on Saturday, the Pack left the tournament ranking fourth in the ACC. 

 While fans might be disappointed in the outcome of Saturday’s game and the overall results of the tournament, there are two things we all can agree to rejoice in: head coach Mark Gottfried has helped us improve from last year… and Carolina didn’t win the Championship.

With last year’s loss to Maryland, the Pack left the tournament in the first round, finishing No. 10 in the ACC. In 2010, they made it to the semi-finals of the tournament while only finishing No. 11 in the ACC. This recurring theme has plagued N.C . State men’s basketball since the 1983 Championship. However, Gottfried has led the Pack into a successful building year.

With a stellar three-win start to the season and winning our first ACC game against Maryland, N.C. State started off the season fairly well. Throughout the season, we’ve triumphed and suffered ranging from breaking in the middle of the ACC pack, being ranked first—for about a week—in the ACC, to being selected for the NCAA tournament. 

 While we feel Saturday’s calls dictated the game’s final result, our performance as a whole this season has determined our ability to keep our own and our higher ranking in the ACC. We have improved.

 Looking at the performance against UNC on Saturday, N.C. State set the pace of the game. The real issue, which defined the outcome of Saturday’s game, was N.C. State’s fouls, which were not necessarily the result of poor playing. This game demonstrates our ability to keep our own; we lost by a hair. 

A new coach and new players bring a challenge to any type of team; however, the Wolfpack has demonstrated its ability to overcome this issue. Moving forward we can expect an even stronger team and more exciting wins—especially when Gottfried’s recruits come into their own.

 While we may not have moved past the semi-finals, it’s nice to note FSU beat UNC for the Championship—causing a very blue trail of jerseys and tears.