One of the high points in NC State, ACC and college basketball history
College basketball and the ACC has changed a lot since 1974. That was the last year that only one team was invited to the NCAA tournament from a conference and the ACC had NC State, Maryland and, not far behind, UNC.
You can make arguments about various ACC teams and which is greatest, but NC State ‘74 has to be in the conversation.
And even if it wasn’t the greatest, it was surely the most interesting: the team had a 7-4 center in Tommy Burleson, a 5-5 point guard in Monte Town and a 6-4 prodigy in David Thompson.
A lot of people will have never seen David Thompson, but this should give you an idea of how good he was: he was Michael Jordan’s idol.
Getting past Maryland in the ACC Tournament was brutal. When State got into the NCAA tournament, David Thompson took an epic tumble against Pitt when he tried to leap over 6-6 teammate Phil Spence to block a shot.
Think about that for a minute: he almost cleared him.
The season was defined by the win over Maryland and then one over UCLA, the first time the Bruins had lost in the Final Four since 1967.
NC State finished a two-year run at 57-1. It was a spectacular time for the Wolfpack and one of the best runs in college basketball history.
