But where will North Carolina State (#11) stop? The Wolfpack of Frenchman Mohamed Diarra signed a new upset on Sunday by defeating Duke (#4), without discussion (76-64) to secure their place in the Final Four. After a locked first half, NC State shattered the opposing defense with a second period of 55 points and 73% shooting! If Diarra, limited by mistakes, did not shine as much as in his last outings (3 points, 7 rebounds in 22 minutes), his imposing friend of the racket, DJ Burns Jr, reigned with 29 points, including 21 after rest.
Too powerful for the Dukies, but with touch and technique reminiscent of Zach Randolph, Burns Jr outclassed Kyle Filipowski (11 points, 9 rebounds but 5 fouls), expected in the first round of the next draft. Not guaranteed to just be there for March Madness before surprising everyone by winning the ACC Conference Tournament, North Carolina State is back at the Final Four for the first time since 1983 and its already historic run to the title . With 14 defeats in the regular season, no university had reached the last four with so many losses.
Zach Edey (40 points) pulls out all the stops to send Purdue to Phoenix
This fantastic dynamic will now have to survive the scarecrow Purdue next Saturday in the semifinals. The Boilermakers (#1) had to work hard to dismiss Tennessee (72-66) in the expected clash of the two main seeds in the Midwest quarter. Just as expected, the remote duel between the two stars Zach Edey and Dalton Knecht kept all its promises. Standing at 2m24, Edey played almost the entire match for an XXL performance: 40 points at 13/21, career record and 16 rebounds!
The Canadian was also decisive in defense in money time, countering Knecht, while the Volunteers could have come back to three points with 30 seconds remaining. The winger was anything but unworthy with 37 points, including 6/12 from 3-point range which should further cement his place at the heights of the next Draft. But he was the only Tennessee player to pass the ten-point mark, largely because he alone took half of his team's shots.
Among the favorites after its superb season, Purdue fulfilled its first mission, to forget its March Madness 2023 and the pitiful elimination in the first round despite the status of number one seed. The clash at the post between Zach Edey and DJ Burns on Saturday promises to be juicy.
The Final Four schedule
Saturday April 6, (12:09 a.m. from Saturday to Sunday French time): Purdue – North Carolina State
Saturday April 6, (2:49 a.m. from Saturday to Sunday French time): Connecticut – Alabama
North Carolina State also surprises the girls
The party was complete in Raleigh on the North Carolina State campus. In addition to the surprise qualification of its men's team, its women's section also opened the doors to the Final Four a few hours earlier! NC State dominated Texas (#1, 76-66) in a funny match, the fault of an error by the NCAA. The distance between the racket head and the 3-point line was not the same on both sides of the Portland floor. The two teams, however, agreed to play under these conditions, for the Wolfpack's first qualification in the last four for 26 years. They will face the big favorites of South Carolina, still undefeated this season after its 70-58 victory over Oregon State.
