‘It’s unbelievable’: NC State unveils ACC Championship, NCAA Final Four banners

N.C. State head coach Kevin Keatts looked up to the rafters of the Lenovo Center, his hands on his son, KJ’s, shoulders. They watched — surrounded by the Wolfpack basketball team, staff and fans — as two banners unfurled, memorializing the program’s 2024 ACC Championship and Final Four run.

It’s been a long time since the university got to do that — 37 years to be exact.

Keatts did his best not to get emotional, because he knew the team still had to play its opener, but it was tough staying composed.

“Man, it was beautiful,” Keatts said. “I knew that those banners would look good, but they look great. … It’s special. It’s kind of like, ‘Why do you do the job?’ The job is done because you want to see young men have success.”

Keatts said all he could think about were all the people that got the program to this point: the longtime supporters and alumni who were “starving” to win a championship, for the players who fell just short of the goal. He specifically thanked fans who attended the game or watched at home, noting his appreciation for their dedication to the program. It was special to have their support.

“Those banners represent everything about NC State, represent everything about me,” Keatts said. “I’m just fortunate to be the guy that was behind the wheel, driving the car.”

Guard Michael O’Connell watched the event, eyes laser-focused, his face showing the pride he felt. The senior said he didn’t get emotional — he’s not typically that kind of guy — but it gave him a little bit of extra excitement before tipoff.

“It was unbelievable,” O’Connell said. “It makes it official for us to see that banner drop and watch that little video before the game; kind of gives you the chills.”

The Wolfpack responded with a commanding 97-66 season-opening win over USC Upstate. N.C. State (1-0) was led in scoring by Bowling Green transfer Marcus Hill and fourth-year guard Breon Pass with 14 points each.

Pass, who participated in a backup role for the team during its run, said it was amazing to see the visual representation of the team’s accomplishments. And, his prediction from four years ago finally came true.

“I remember when I told (former assistant coach James Johnson) that before I leave N.C. State, I’m gonna have two banners up,” Pass said. “Look at it now. Now, I’m going for three, four, maybe.”

Pass said the fanfare added motivation for the newcomers, too. They saw what happened — and said they watched the Wolfpack’s run — and believe the program is capable of doing it again. Hill confirmed that statement.

Last season, Hill was an All-MAC First Team selection and one of the best scorers in the nation. But, he didn’t have the same kind of postseason success with the Falcons. He felt inspired standing with his new teammates and seeing the result of the program’s accomplishments.

The senior used that inspiration to fuel his double-digit performance, while adding a trio of rebounds and a pair of assists in the win.

N.C. State has preached all offseason that this team isn’t the same one that won five games in five days en route to the pinnacle of college basketball. This isn’t the same roster that won nine elimination games and nearly lost to last-place Louisville in the ACC Tournament opener, which featured now-Wolfpack players Mike James and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield. It isn’t the same one that surprised the entire basketball world and became one of the biggest Cinderella stories.

That’s OK. Last season’s Wolfpack was never supposed to be the team with the rings or the bragging rights. Maybe this new one can overachieve, too.

“Seeing (the banners) drop, I was like, ‘That’s crazy. I want to get to that,’” Hill said. “I asked a lot of questions, like how it feels to be in the Final Four. I asked all of them. That’s what I want to get to, so we’re working hard to try to get there.”