NC State
NC State legend Chris Corchiani: I've got chills just talking about this
Former NC State basketball player Chris Corchiani talks about the Final Four run the Wolfpack have been on, and how it impacts the program going forward.
All right, Mr Kiani. Uh you, of course, uh one of uh the, the Pat Greats, you know, back in the day, a point guard and, and, and now you, you are watching this team on this incredible run, I mean, basically nine elimination games in a row and they're still alive, uh, as somebody who used to, to play for this team and go to that school and, and still stay in the area, how does that make you feel? And uh what are their emotions going into this weekend? I, I there's a lot of emotions, I mean, I, I've got chills just talking about this. It's something that is, uh, you know, so great for so many people, um, you know, for the university to have both men's and women's in the final four. It's, it's just unbelievable but, but it's something that no one thought was possible and this team, the drive their love for one another. Um It's just been a really unreal experience and, um another thing I think is, uh kind of interesting too and I don't know, maybe if, uh maybe you could speak to it, but as you were getting recruited to NC State, you're getting recruited to a team that recently had, uh, a national championship. Uh, so you weren't a part of the 83 team, but I'm, I'm sure you heard a lot about them. I'm sure you met a lot of those guys back in that day and it was a part of your process getting recruited. What do you think this moment, win or lose tomorrow? This moment, this run does for head coach Kevin Keats and his recruiting for the next year or two, for, you know, future players who may want to come to NC State. You know, it's been 30 plus years since we've really had a basketball program. We've had good teams but not a program, Duke and Carolina. They've had programs. This is an opportunity for NC State basketball to really level the playing field and build a program that's gonna help with recruiting. It's gonna help with nil money. It's just an opportunity really to step up our, our game and, and our national prominence. What are your thoughts about, uh, Kevin Keats? I mean, he came in, uh, after the program was in a lot of, uh, you know, legal trouble and, uh, he had a rough start. A lot of because of, you know, the situation that he kind of came in on and, and now he's got the team to believe and he's been close to getting, uh, a lot of big time recruits and they've left, uh, but he's kind of stuck with it and got his guys and he's got him playing right at the right moment. What are your thoughts on him and what he's been able to build it? It, it really is truly amazing, you know, as amazing as the, the run. Uh, I, it's amazing that Coach Keats was able to keep this team together to give them this opportunity. But, um, again, uh, they have believed in themselves. Coach Keats has done a great job of, of keeping them locked in together and, and they're having fun, you know, they, they had a lot of adversity, you know, really, for the last seven years, you know, they, you know, they've had a good team and then they, they, they, one year they were in the cellar of the AC C and he kept the process and, um, you know, what these players have done and what they've accomplished. I don't think they're fully understand the greatness of that. Um, you know, other teams are expected, uh, to have excellence throughout the year. This NC State team had 14 losses. Uh, they had to play Tuesday in the AC C tournament. I had to win five games. They're gonna sit back after this run and really understand exactly what they did. Not only for them personally but for the, the university, it's just been an unreal run, uh, in March, somebody like DJ burns, uh, shows how the, uh, transfer portal can kind of absolutely change things. It wasn't uh really a thing just a few years ago. And now all of a sudden you can go into a portal, find guys who maybe have been undervalued and um kind of help change the program around. What are your thoughts on him and kind of how the whole world is now, like, you know, big DJ Barnes fans. It's beautiful. What DJ Barnes has done is amazing. Uh You know, I had an opportunity to talk to his father last night and I said, you know what he's done on the court, everybody has seen that. It's what he's done the way he's represented. NC State University is what's more impressive than what he's done on the court. We've seen that, you know, a big burly guy that, you know, floats like a butterfly. He's got a soft touch. But, um it's the way these young men have represented us all throughout. This one is probably more impressive to me than what they've done on the court. It's, uh it's really cool to kind of see everything and, and kinda see their confidence, kinda growing more and more as, as things kind of go along. Uh But there's still some basketball to play and when you see a team like Purdue who has shown cracks in their armor, uh, you know, last year being bounced in the first round, uh but still have such AAA massive force in the middle like Zach, Edie. Uh, you know, what are your thoughts on what NC State can do to, to go against them tomorrow night? You know, it's gonna be awful to quote. I mean, Zach is the player of the year, a player of that caliber. You, you don't stop it. You, you hope to contain him, you hope you hope to limit him. Uh, and the other four guys on Purdue, they're the ones that you really have to say, you know what? We can't let one of those guys, you know, really get off and have a big shooting night. Uh, he's a, a problem and, and you have to understand that, uh, nobody's had an answer for him, but, you know, when you think of, uh, four teams left, this isn't a best of five, it's not a best of seven. It's one game and, um, we've proven on this run that anything is possible and a lot of that has to go back to the 83 team with Jimmy V. Nobody thought they'd ever win an ask for something. It really parallels a lot of the history that we saw in 31 years ago. You talked earlier about, uh building a program and I know that, uh, you know, something like this, the whole world, there's only four teams left, the whole world's eyes are gonna be on NC state and the three other teams that are involved right now. Um, you talked to, uh a bunch of, uh, alum. How do you think this helps energize the, the base, the, uh, alums who are gonna be giving back the alums who may not have gone to a game in a few years that may be wanting to get season tickets next year. How do you think that changes? Maybe what we see at PNC arena for the next couple of years changes big time. I mean, big time when you have success, when you have energy, when you have passionate fan base, then they tend to open up their wallets, they're excited. You know, we're in a new era with the nil transfer portal. All of this excitement, this great run really should uh be something that's sustainable in the future to build a program. It's just, um you know, we've had a starving fan base for years and they show up and they're passionate and now they have an opportunity to eat, you know, they, but we've been starved. I mean, make no mistake for years. We had, we've had nothing to show for it and now we do. Um So this is our, our opportunity to really step up. You know, people talk about Carolina and Duke and some folks have said, you know, we're not really their rival and they're right because we haven't lived up to the bargain. But, you know, we wanna be at that level as a program and this gives us such an opportunity to, to get there. Um Football is really good. Uh Of course, women's basketball has been doing very well. Uh The last few years uh under coach Westmore there in the final four, wrestling is good. Cross country is good. Baseball is good. Uh But I saw somebody say recently it feels like the AC C is underestimated if NC State is not good, we know Duke and Carolina are gonna be good if NC State is not good. That's when the AC C is underestimated. How do you think this helps um other programs in the AC C uh with the momentum that uh that NC State has right now. You know, I think when your major sports programs, your football, your basketball, when, when they have success, it, it just trickles down to all your sports. But, you know, we, we have had success in football. We've had success in baseball, women's basketball, men's basketball, we just have not had that success. So I do believe with what this one is doing and, and where it's gonna carry us in the future. I it's just gonna help all of our other sports programs. It's gonna help the conference. Um It's just a, a, an amazing thing that I really do feel that they're gonna parlay this in the next year in, in the following years. But I just, it's one of those things you sit here and II, I honestly can't believe we're even having this conversation. It's just a, a beautiful thing and I'm just so happy for Wolfpack Nation that they're getting this opportunity. It's just amazing to be out in Phoenix and see everybody with smiles and, and almost disbelief, but we're right there. We got two more games to go and, uh, we're just so proud of this team. All right. You know, I, I have to ask you, uh, before I let you go, uh, your predictions of the game tomorrow night Wolf Pack versus uh the boiler makers. You know, at this point, II, I don't think anyone could, could uh you know, go against a wolf pack. This is a team of destiny. They, they believe in one another. And again, I I said it earlier. If it was the best of five, you know, it'd be very difficult to beat Purdue three times in the best of five. But for one game, I'm going with the pack and I'm going with the score of 83 to 74. Yeah. Mhm. I, I see what you did right there. That's, that's a, that's a nice one right there. OK. 83 to 74 Wolf pack West. Uh Before before I let you go, could I get you to do a nice your best wolfpack pose in the camera to say, go pack, go pack. We're so proud of this team. Let's go wolf pack.