NC State
NC State fans proud of team's accomplishments after Final Four loss
It's the end of the road for the NC State men's team, falling to Purdue after a hard-fought Final Four game in Phoenix.
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It's the end of the road for the NC State men's team, falling to Purdue after a hard-fought Final Four game in Phoenix.
A LITTLE WETTER. I'LL SHOW YOU COMING UP. >> ELIZABETH, THANK YOU. WELL, IT'S THE END OF THE ROAD FOR THE NC STATE MEN'S TEAM HERE. >> FALLING TO PURDUE AFTER A HARD FOUGHT FINAL 4 GAME IN PHOENIX WRAL'S KASEY HINTON PAT WELTER MADE THE TRIP TO ARIZONA WITH THE WOLF PACK. >> WELL, IT WASN'T THE FINNISH FANS OR THE PLAYERS WERE HOPING FOR. EVERYONE IS SO PROUD OF WITH THIS WOLF PACK TEAM WAS ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH. >> A SPECIAL MEMORABLE, HISTORIC POSTSEASON RUN COMES TO AN END FOR THE FACT THAT I THINK IF WE START AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS GAME, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE START SACKEY AND HE COMES OUT WITH 14 FIRST-HALF POINTS. IF YOU TOLD US THAT HE FINISHED WITH JUST 20, I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE TAKEN THAT. BUT PURDUE TESTED THE PACKING A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS AND THEN STATE JUST A LITTLE OUT OF SYNC OFFENSIVELY. YOU LOSE MICHAEL O'CONNELL, THE FIRST AFTER THAT HAMSTRING INJURY, HE'S BEEN THE FLOOR GENERAL AND THIS ENTIRE RUN. I THINK THAT REALLY GOT THEM OUT OF RHYTHM. AND DESPITE ALL THAT, THEY'RE JUST DOWN 6 AT THE HALF WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE FOR A LOT OF THIS GAME. >> I THINK THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE, CASEY WAS THE REBOUNDING ADVANTAGE. PURDUE HAD 41 TO 28 DOWN SAID COMPENSATE FOR A 7 FOOT 4 SACKEY WHICH LED TO A LOT OF 3 POINT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PURDUE. AND LOOK, THIS WAS THE 10TH STRAIGHT ELIMINATION GAME FOR STATE. AND THIS ONE SHOT JUST IN FALL. I THINK ONE OF THE. >> OUR BIGGEST DIFFERENCES, SOME OF THE SHOTS THAT WE NORMALLY MAKE. WE DID MAKE IN THE END THE GAME AND KIND OF GOT AWAY FROM US A LITTLE BIT. BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD BE MORE PROUD A GROUP HOME AND THAT I'VE EVER COACHED IN MY LIFE. JUST TO KNOW WE WENT OUT THERE DIDN'T QUIT, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A PROCEED ON OUR WAY. YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE I SAID, THAT WAS A GREAT TEAM. SO >> WE DIDN'T EXPECT TO GO OUT THERE AND JUST HAVE A WAY WITH 2. SO THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WITH THE WAY TO DO IT AND, YOU I CAN LIVE WITH THAT. IT'S NOT LIKE. >> IT WAS A SITUATION WHERE WE CAME ON JUST WE DIDN'T PLAY WELL. AND JUST, YOU KNOW, LET THEM DOMINATE. AS YOU KNOW, WE JUST DIDN'T HIT SHOTS AND THEY DID. UNFORTUNATELY UP AT WE ASKED DJ BURNS TO DESCRIBE WHAT HE WAS FEELING IN THAT MOMENT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE GAME. HE SAID I'M FEELING LIKE I SHOULD HAVE LET IT GET TO HIS RIGHT HAND. IN THE 1ST HALF THINGS MIGHT BE DIFFERENT. END OF AN ERA FOR DJ BURNS. AND OF COURSE, TJ WARREN, THE 2 TRANSFERS WHO >> WE'VE HERE NOW AND SEE STATE ELECTIONS. AND I TALKED TO DJ HORNE ABOUT WHAT THIS NIGHT MEANT TO HIM. HE SAID HE NEVER SEEN AS MANY FANS IN HIS ENTIRE LIFE. HE SAID THE ONE THING HE REALLY LEARNED ABOUT THIS RUN WAS JUST THE VALUE WHEN IT. >> THANKS TO PAT AND CASEY THERE. WELL, THE TEAM'S LOSS AND ZINNI CHANCES OF PLAYING IN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES. THOUSANDS OF FANS HERE IN RALEIGH WERE STILL EXCITED TO CHEER ON THEIR TEAM. HILLSBOROUGH STREET WAS PACKED FOR THE PACT DURING YESTERDAY'S WATCH PARTY. THEY WENT THROUGH A ROLLER COASTER OF EMOTIONS WATCHING IN WAITING FOR THE MEN'S TEAM TO SHOW THE MAGIC DISPLAYED DURING THEIR NINE-GAME WIN STREAK. DESPITE LAST NIGHT'S OUTCOME, MANY ARE STILL SO PROUD OF THE TEAM'S TURNAROUND THIS SEASON. >> THIS IS THE MAGICAL RIDE. IT REALLY WAS. I REALLY CAN'T PUT WORDS TO DESCRIBE LIKE HOW AWESOME THIS TEAM HAS BEEN LIKE WINNING THE ACC CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE COMEBACK THAT WE HAD >> OFFENSE TELL US THEY'RE HOPING THE TEAM BUILDS OFF OF THIS YEAR'S RUN AND MAKES A STRONG SHOWING IN MARCH MADNESS AGAIN NEXT YEAR. WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR THE NC STATE MEN'S TEAM TO RETURN TO RALEIGH. THIS IS VIDEO OF THE TEAM'S ARRIVAL AFTER BEATING DUKE IN THE ELITE 8. WE'RE EXPECTING SIMILAR FANFARE TODAY EVEN AFTER THE LAST BRING YOU THAT BIG RETURN AT NC STATE'S TALLY BASKET THERE. DALE BASKETBALL