N.C. State's March Madness Journey Begins

0:00From Durham, this is your March 17th update. NC Stateman's basketball team is in Dayton, Ohio for the NCAA tournament first four. They face Texas on Tuesday night. Just a month ago, after blowing a late lead to Miami on February 14, Coach Will Wade said they were far from the tournament, but hoped to reach. Dayton. Now, 30 days later, the Wolf Pack is here, ready to extend their season. The team struggled through the regular season, losing five of their last six games, but players see this as a fresh start. They know many teams are watching from home, so suiting up from March madness feels like a real opportunity, when or lose. Everyone on the roster appreciates the moment. Softmore Gar Paul McNeill called it a blessing, no matter how they arrived. Seniors especially feel the pressure, with their futures on the line after Tuesday. It's March, and the urgency has finally kicked in for the whole group. To make a deep run, the Wolf Pack needs mental toughness and grit. Players like senior Jordan Snow point to personal hardships that built their resilience.

1:04Junior Gar Terrence Arsano stresses pride in themselves and teammates to make those key winning plays down the stretch. This is a rematch with Texas, who beat them 102-97 at the Maui Invitational. Both teams have cooled off lately, but NC State believes better effort on rebounds and loose balls can flip the result. They're focused on proving themselves in this high stakes reset. This DNN story comes to you thanks to our sponsor, head in, sound on, lights out. That is the routine, S-O-L-I, solelypillow.com.