10 Best Moments in ACC Tournament History

THE FIRST STEP FOR THE CARDIAC PACK

Not Jimmy V or any member of this NC State team (FYI). Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

When fans look back at 1983, everybody remembers Jim Valvano running around the court looking for somebody to hug.  NC State had just upset Hakeem Olajuwon’s Houston team in the NCAA title game.  But what if I told you it was a string of upsets a few weeks prior to that moment that set the Wolfpack on their path to history?

Well, in the 1983 ACC Tournament the Wolfpack came in as the #4 seed.  True to form that season, NC State battled back against top seeded North Carolina and Michael Jordan to win in OT for a chance to face Virginia and everybody’s All-American, Ralph Sampson.

Valvano’s squad had lost to the Cavaliers twice during the season.  They reversed those fortunes by upsetting Sampson’s Wahoos and heading off to their destiny in the NCAA Tournament.