The 1973â€"74 North Carolina State Wolfpack men's basketball team represented North Carolina State University. The Wolfpack were a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The team finished undefeated in the ACC regular season, then won the ACC Tournament. The Wolfpack then won the NCAA tournament, finishing the season as the national champions.
Season summary
N.C. State had it all: a star high-jumping forward David Thompson, a towering center in 7-foot-4 Tom Burleson, a great point guard in Monte Towe and several complementary players, including guard Moe Rivers and forward Phil Spence. The Wolfpack began the season ranked #2 in the nation, behind UCLA. On December 15, 1973, the two teams met in St. Louis, with UCLA beating NC State by 84-66 after trailing by one at halftime. It would be the only loss for the Wolfpack that season. NC State avenged that loss by beating the Bruins 80-77 in two overtimes in the NCAA Tournament semi-final game and ending their streak of seven straight national championships. Two nights later NC State captured its first NCAA championship by beating Marquette 76-64.
Roster
Schedule
ACC Tournament
The 1974 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Greensboro, North Carolina, at the Greensboro Coliseum from March 7â€"9. North Carolina State defeated Maryland 103â€"100 in overtime to claim the championship.
The Final pitted two of the top teams in the country. It has been regarded by many to be the greatest ACC game in history â€" and one of the greatest college games ever. The game was instrumental in forcing the expansion of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship to 32 teams, allowing more than one bid from a conference.
NCAA tournament
- East
- North Carolina State 92, Providence 78
- North Carolina State 100, Pittsburgh 72
- Final Four
- North Carolina State 80, UCLA 77
- North Carolina State 76, Marquette 64
Awards and honors
- Tommy Burleson, ACC Tournament MVP.
- David Thompson, NCAA Men's MOP Award
Team players drafted into the NBA
References
