Key Takeaways:
- NC State knocked off #2 seed Kansas with a 78-75 victory in the Round of 64.
- The Wolfpack erased a 12-point second-half deficit to secure the upset.
- Kansas missed a potential game-tying three-pointer as the clock hit zero.
CHARLOTTE — The Wolfpack just ripped up the brackets. NC State rallied from the brink of a blowout to upset #2 seed Kansas 78-75 on Friday afternoon. Trailing by double digits with nine minutes left, the Pack relied on a 14-2 run to snatch the lead and hold on through a frantic final sequence that left the Jayhawks heading home early.
The Comeback in Charlotte
Kansas controlled the paint for the first 30 minutes. Hunter Dickinson dominated the rim, but NC State’s backcourt turned the game into a track meet late in the second half. The Wolfpack forced 16 turnovers, converting those mistakes into 22 points. The momentum shifted for good when a transition three-pointer from the wing rattled home, giving NC State its first lead since the opening minutes.
The Jayhawks had one last gasp. Down three with 4.2 seconds remaining, Kansas got the ball into the hands of their best shooter. The shot looked true, but it caught the back iron and bounced away as the horn blared. The NC State bench didn’t just celebrate; they swarmed the floor in a scene that mirrored their historic run from two years ago.
| Team | 1st Half | 2nd Half | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC State | 31 | 47 | 78 |
| Kansas | 38 | 37 | 75 |
What They Said
“Nobody outside that locker room thought we’d be standing here. We didn’t care about the seed. We cared about the fight. We knew if we kept it close until the four-minute mark, the pressure was on them, not us.”
— Kevin Keatts, NC State Head Coach
“We let them get comfortable. You can’t give a team like that life in March. They took it, and we couldn’t get it back.”
— Bill Self, Kansas Head Coach
Bracket Impact / What’s Next
This result guts the bottom half of the Midwest region. With a #2 seed out, the path to the Sweet 16 has cracked wide open. NC State stays in Charlotte to face the winner of the 7/10 matchup on Sunday. For Kansas, this marks their earliest exit in three years, raising questions about their defensive consistency in high-pressure late-game scenarios.
