Students at Duke and U.N.C., both basketball powerhouses, have long labeled North Carolina State their “little brother.” But little brother — and sister — are off to the Final Four.

By Eduardo Medina

Photographs by Veasey Conway

Reporting from Raleigh, N.C.

April 4, 2024

For decades, Sammy’s Tap & Grill, a sports bar for fans of North Carolina State University, had a glaring problem: The school’s basketball teams did not win all that much. David Harris, one of the owners, would concoct creative specials in hopes of drawing customers on game days, but it didn’t matter. Few ever came.

“All of that has changed now,” Mr. Harris, 59, said the other day, his smile, like those of his patrons, seemingly permanent. “Can you believe it?”

The N.C. State women’s and men’s basketball teams are both in the Final Four. It is a sentence few in Raleigh believed they ever would utter. And to listen to them say it aloud this week was to hear the exhausted, sometimes tearful glee of an overjoyed fan base still in shock.

Their neighbors, after all, are basketball royalty. Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, each about 25 miles away, have won multiple national championships, and the North Carolina women’s team won it all in 1994. The two programs have one of the fiercest rivalries in college basketball.

Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest men’s player of all time, played for U.N.C. Duke can lay claim to Mike Krzyzewski, who won more games than any men’s coach in N.C.A.A. history.

Then there is N.C. State.

Students at Duke, which is in Durham, and U.N.C. have long labeled N.C. State their “little brother” — an uncompetitive, weaker sibling in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Sometimes, the trash talk feels like it extends beyond sports. Duke is a premier private university, and U.N.C. is the state’s public flagship, its oldest educational jewel and itself a top school. N.C. State is known for its robust agricultural and engineering curriculums, but it does not have the national allure of the other two.

Yet in the men’s tournament, the No. 1-seeded U.N.C., lost to Alabama in the Sweet 16. And Duke, a No. 4 seed, fell last weekend to none other than N.C. State.

“Now they can’t talk,” Tyler Sherman, a freshman at N.C. State, said of both teams as he decided between a gray and a red Final Four T-shirt at the university’s store on Tuesday.

Still, it has been an arduous journey for the Wolfpack. In the 1950s, the N.C. State men’s team was considered the best in the A.C.C., and for the next three decades, the rivalry between N.C. State and U.N.C. was the biggest in North Carolina, said Tim Peeler, who wrote a book on the team that won N.C. State’s last national title, in 1983.

A big setback occurred in 1989, when the N.C.A.A. placed the school’s basketball team on probation for two years and barred it from the 1990 tournament for violations that included the misuse of complimentary tickets and sneakers provided to the players.

Around that time, ESPN was taking off, and the U.N.C.-Duke rivalry was growing in intensity in the state partly because of their high-profile coaches, Mr. Peeler said.

The women’s team at N.C. State has been strong in recent years, but it had not made it this far since 1998. As for the men’s team, fans will admit they have had more than a few subpar seasons. They were, at best, mediocre during this year’s regular season, finishing 17-14. On campus, there were whispers that the head coach, Kevin Keatts, would be fired.

To even qualify for the N.C.A.A. Tournament, the men’s team had to win the A.C.C. Tournament, a feat that involved five straight wins for a team that had lost its last four regular-season games. It has kept winning ever since, beating Duke on Sunday and leaving fans thunderstruck.

“Crazy,” said Norman Downer, an N.C. State alumnus who graduated in 2014.

“Surreal,” said Trey Austin, 21, a sophomore, one of the hundreds of students proudly sporting a red A.C.C. championship shirt on campus this week.

“I’ve waited all my life,” said Bradley Turner, 26, of Raleigh, who spent more than $400 in recent days on Wolfpack merchandise.

This was a jubilance they had never experienced. It felt electric and fleeting, they said, like catching fireflies in a jar. The Wolfpack had arrived at their moment, wearing shirts and holding signs that underscored the surprise of their ascent: “I believe.” “Why not us?”

On Tuesday, hundreds gathered on campus to send off the women’s team. Tubas and trumpets roared. Some in the crowd had dyed locks of their hair red. As the players walked to their bus, fans chanted the names of their heroes.

“I love you Saniya!” one woman screamed, referring to guard Saniya Rivers.

They had heard from friends who went to Duke or U.N.C. about the long lines at games, the camping out for tickets, the prime time TV broadcasts. They had heard from alumni about the ’70s and ’80s, how N.C. State had been the team to beat then, and how it had started the tradition of cutting down the net as a souvenir of victory.

On the “basketball history” wall at Amedeo’s Italian Restaurant, where the celebrated former N.C. State men’s coach Jim Valvano used to dine regularly, every image and artifact dates at least to the 1980s. Championship sweaters from ’83 now go for around $75 at vintage markets.

Dereck Whittenburg, a guard for the team that won the 1983 title, said in an interview that he had seen it all in college basketball. But this current run, he said, felt “truly incredible.”

(One sports statistician put the men’s team’s chances of winning nine straight elimination games to make the Final Four at 10,314 to 1.)

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Mr. Whittenburg, 63, said.

Gov. Roy Cooper of North Carolina, who graduated from U.N.C. and vividly remembers Mr. Whittenburg’s plays from decades ago, said in an interview that he was pulling for both Wolfpack teams. The women’s team, a No. 3 seed, will face South Carolina on Friday; the men will face Purdue on Saturday.

“It’s really hard to find anyone in North Carolina right now, regardless of who your team is, who is not for North Carolina State,” Mr. Cooper said.

Even Duke fans on campus this week, still smarting from their defeat on Sunday, admitted that they were rooting for the underdogs.

“It’s kind of cool that they’re having their comeback,” Tom Gigrich, a junior at Duke, said of N.C. State. “Obviously the loss sucks. But at least U.N.C. didn’t beat us. And honestly, I hope the best for them.”

A No. 11 seed in the men’s tournament, N.C. State is now the country’s Cinderella team, led by DJ Burns Jr., a 6-foot-9 center who has won Raleigh’s heart with his balletic moves and cheerful demeanor.

On Tuesday evening in Raleigh, roughly 1,000 people lined up outside an Applebee’s for a meet-and-greet with Burns and guard DJ Horne, N.C. State’s leading scorer.

Outside the restaurant, boys and girls scrawled “Wolfpack!” in red chalk on the sidewalk and stared into the restaurant’s windows, trying to catch a glimpse. People carried basketballs to be signed. Lily Mulhall, a freshman at N.C. State, said she brought a hubcap to get autographed because — well, it was a long story, but she considered it lucky.

Only a small number of fans managed to get inside and meet the players. Few appeared to care.

What mattered was that they were here, smiling at the ridiculousness of the crowd size as the sun set.

Word spread that the players would be exiting soon through the restaurant’s back door. Some fans had already gathered around it. One had climbed a tree for a better look. They raised their phones, preparing to snap and record so that they could one day remember.

A boy asked his father if they could stay a little longer and get a peek of the players. The father said it was fine.

Raleigh had already waited 40 years for scenes like this. What was 10 more minutes?

The owner of a Black-owned children's bookstore in Raleigh, North Carolina, said she is closing its doors less than a year after it opened because of violent threats.

The store, called Liberation Station Bookstore, was the first of its kind in the community, owner Victoria Scott-Miller wrote in an Instagram post announcing that it is shuttering its first and only retail location.

She described how challenging it was to reconcile "the immense joy" she experienced serving the community with "threats of violence," including death threats and hate mail that she believed imperiled the store and put her family's safety at risk.

In a particularly startling incident, she wrote on Instagram, a caller detailed what her son was wearing while he was alone at the shop, she said.

"For the past 8-months we've struggled with the immense joy of serving our community and the many blessings we've received that allowed us to continue powering this work forward and our experiences with the unsettling reality of facing threats of violence and emotional harm from those who remain nameless and faceless," Scott-Miller wrote on Instagram.

The store faced threats since its inception, but more recent provocations caused greater cause for concern, she explained.

"While this is not a new challenge, it becomes real when these threats are directed towards our physical location and accessibility," Scott-Miller wrote.

Liberation Station Bookstore, which focused on selling children's books from Black and underrepresented authors, will remain open at its Fayetteville Street location in downtown Raleigh until April 13, according to Scott-Miller.

It's not the end of the business though. It will donate unsold inventory to literacy nonprofits while it plans its next chapter.

"Collectively we will go back to the drawing board to reassess and redefine what we will need in our next location," Scott-Miller wrote.

Nearly 4,000 people attended the bookstore's grand opening in 2023, in what Scott-Miller called "a true testament to our impact."

She said the store's aim was to both serve the community and prepare her own children "for the world they will one day inherit."

Liberation Station Bookstore did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS MoneyWatch.

Megan Cerullo

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News Streaming to discuss her reporting.

247Sports Embed Resource

RALEIGH, N.C. -- For one magical month, NC State men's and women's basketball took the entire University, City of Raleigh and the country itself on a magical ride. Not only did the men's team win the ACC Championship Game just to get into the NCAA Tournament, it joined the women's team in winning four straight games on a path to the Final Four.

This coming Monday, April 15, the City of Raleigh will honor both programs on NC State campus, according to a release from NC State Athletics. Read the full statement below:

NC State and the City of Raleigh will honor the Wolfpack men's and women's basketball teams for their historic runs in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments on Monday, April 15 at 8 pm at the Memorial Belltower. Men's head coach Kevin Keatts, women's head coach Wes Moore and members of both teams will be on hand for this fun celebration.

Hillsborough Street at Oberlin Road and Horne Street will be closed by the City of Raleigh for the free event, beginning at 6 pm on Monday. Parking will be available after 5 pm in the Reynolds Coliseum Parking Deck, the Jeter Bays adjacent to Reynolds Coliseum, the SAS Lot and the Dan Allen Deck.

It's a fitting honor for two teams that made history as the first ever in NC State history to make the Final Four in the same season. Much has been made about the fact that the men's team was the first to make the Elite Eight since 1986 and Final Four since 1983, but the women's team was the second ever to make the Final Four and first since the 1998 season.

There is no word on which players will be available for the event, but some might not be able to attend due to preparation for the NBA Draft that begins immediately with the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (P.I.T.) taking place next week. Regardless of who is in attendance, this will be yet another special night to honor two remarkable teams outside the Memorial Belltower as the City of Raleigh shuts down once again for the Pack.

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New intel for NC State basketball recruiting after hosting a big official visitor.

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RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State is looking to replace a ton of production at the guard position from last season with the departures of DJ Horne and Casey Morsell, who are both out of eligibility. With players like Michael O'Connell and Jayden Taylor expected to return, there is quiet confidence that the backcourt position is still in capable hands -- but the Pack needs a high-scoring guard to complete it.

Insert former Indiana State guard Ryan Conwell, who is at the top of the Pack's priority list in the portal.

Conwell was scheduled to take an official visit to Raleigh this past weekend as his first trip since announcing he was leaving the Sycamores after his sophomore season. Here's the very latest we're hearing from the weekend:

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Stock up: 5 NC State players who helped themselves during spring practice

Five players who are on the rise after spring practice.

Michael ClarkApr 14th, 8:26 AM

Sophomore CB Brandon Cisse

Cisse impressed since he arrived on campus last January. Despite NC State's veteran secondary group last fall, he still earned snaps as a true freshman.

Fast forward to spring, and from the opening practice, the sophomore consistently made big play after big play for six weeks. Formerly a lightly-offered recruit who showed up at camp to earn an offer from the Wolfpack, Cisse has blossomed rapidly and is expected to be a major contributor this fall.

Everyone in the program believed he was going to be a big-time player for the Wolfpack, but based on what he showed this spring, Cisse's timeline to stardom has accelerated.

Interestingly, I had multiple people tell me if State handed out a defensive MVP award this spring, Cisse would have been the easy selection. More importantly, the combination of Cisse, All-American candidate Aydan White and Maryland transfer Corey Coley Jr. gives the Pack its best corner trio in recent memory.

Freshman QB CJ Bailey

Heading into the spring practice, State felt really good about starting quarterback Grayson McCall, which isn't surprising given he's one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in college football over the past three to four years. McCall was really impressive throughout the spring, but there were major concerns about who would back him up.

While everyone knew Bailey's talent level was off-the-charts, a signal-caller's first semester on campus can be a rocky transition. Although I'm sure Bailey would be the first to tell you he has a lot to learn, I think everyone got a glimpse of his potential in the spring game.

On the first drive, he ripped off a 67-yard run against the Pack's first-team defense. Then when he was able to take snaps with the red team (starters and top reserves), Bailey completed 7-of-11 passes for 166 yards with two scores.

State may elect to bring in a quarterback from the transfer portal, but based off the spring, I believe it would be awfully hard for that player to beat out Bailey for the No. 2 quarterback spot.

Redshirt Junior DE Travali Price

Price had a strong spring in 2023, and while he played the most snaps of any defensive line reserve a season ago, it didn't translate to much production.

He's bigger, stronger and faster than a season ago, and by all accounts, Price took his game to a new level this spring. Thus, he's cemented himself as the starting defensive end opposite Davin Vann.

Price, a former four-star recruit with scholarship offers from coast-to-coast in high school, is one of the most physically gifted defensive players on the roster. Now, he appears to be ready to take a major step forward for the Wolfpack. If it happens, it would be massive for State.

Redshirt Junior WR Dacari Collins

I could make the case for a handful of receivers, but after battling nagging injuries last spring and early in the 2023 season, Collins has had a steady ascension.

After his strong finish last fall, Collins attacked winter workouts, and transformed his body. Collins carried that momentum into the spring practice, and from the start, consistently made plays.

He's not the flashiest of the receiver group, but I'm very bullish on Collins due to his consistent improvement.

Redshirt Sophomore K Kanoah Vinesett

State has a rich history of prolific kickers, including most recently Christopher Dunn and Brayden Narveson. Thus, it's easy to get spoiled. But if State's going to reach its lofty expectations this fall, it's going to need a big season from Vinesett.

Vinesett impressed throughout spring, but it was good for everyone, including himself, to see Saturday's performance in a game-like situation. He connected on all his PATs and was 3-of-3 field goal-wise, including 50-yarder.

If Vinesett is anywhere near as effective as the Pack's most recent kickers, it would go a long way towards contending for an ACC Title and possibly beyond.

The mayor of North Carolina’s capital city has announced that she won't seek reelection this fall

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The mayor of North Carolina’s capital city announced on Tuesday that she won't seek reelection this fall, citing in part health challenges and mentioning a new job.

Mary-Ann Baldwin, whose time on Raleigh’s city council goes back to 2007, has been mayor since December 2019. Raleigh is North Carolina’s second largest city by population with over 475,000 people.

“It’s time to devote my energies to myself and my family, and to find other ways to serve,” Baldwin said in a video revealing her decision.

Baldwin described a breast cancer diagnosis last year and her husband’s open-heart surgery, along with their dog’s illness, news outlets reported. She said she is cancer-free, her husband is doing well and their dog is recovering.

“These events made life even more stressful, leaving me to wonder how much more I could take,” Baldwin said. “My head and my heart were in conflict.”

Baldwin also started a new role this month as the first executive director of a foundation designed to provide grants to people who can’t cover their monthly expenses.

Baldwin arrived in Raleigh in the late 1980s. She served on the city council until 2017, after which she was elected mayor in 2019. She was reelected in 2022.

Several announced mayoral candidates had emerged before Tuesday, including current council member Corey Branch and Janet Cowell, a former council member and the one-time state treasurer. Candidate filing begins in July.

In the video, Baldwin highlighted her efforts as mayor of the rapidly growing city to encourage affordable housing and to develop downtown’s Warehouse District. She also mentioned the upcoming renovation of PNC Arena — home to the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and North Carolina State University men's basketball — and the emerging development around it that will inject more private development in west Raleigh.

Baldwin was also at the helm of the city in 2020 at the start of COVID-19 pandemic. And there was criticism over local law enforcement’s handling of the protests that year in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Some of the demonstrations resulted in vandalism and damage to downtown businesses.