What went wrong: How NC State went from Final Four to missing ACC Tournament less than a year later

To get from Raleigh to Charlotte, a drive down I-40 West and eventually I-85 South is needed. Along the way, you’ll pass exits for Duke and North Carolina before arriving in Greensboro, near the halfway mark of the drive. And not too far from exit 100 is Sedgefield Country Club, where the ACC was born in 1953.  NC State, one of seven founding members that was integral in forming the league that has become synonymous with the State of North Carolina, won’t be making that trek to the ACC Tournament next week in Charlotte, however.  The conference didn’t adjust its tournament bracket after it expanded to 18 teams, thus leaving the bottom three squads at home. And the Wolfpack was officially relegated to that trio after Notre Dame beat Stanford on Wednesday night, pushing the Irish at least one game out of reach for the final spot in the field.  NC State, the ACC’s reigning tournament champion, will not be able to defend its title with just five wins through the first 19 league games. Saturday’s game at Miami, against the last-place squad, will be the final game of the 2024-25 campaign for both teams. But how did NC State get in this situation? The Wolfpack’s biggest mistake might have come before the season even tipped off with its roster construction.