In order to make the NCAA Tournament, they'd have to do something no ACC team had ever done before: win the conference championship as a double-digit seed. Oddsmakers took note, setting their chances to capture the title between 50-1 to 100-1.
Suffice it to say, that outside the program, expectations weren't high heading into Tuesday's opening-round game against Louisville.
[Ads /]
By Saturday night, NC State fans, gathered around The Belltower on-campus, chanted a simple message after an improbable week: "Why not us?".
"There was something about those five days that were just five of the greatest days in NC State athletics history. It was probably the greatest five days in a row ever. It was pretty spectacular. Those guys should be proud of themselves and the coaching staff and everything else. It was amazing," said Gus Gusler, an NC State fan who owns Players Retreat.
The restaurant and bar, located across from campus, was packed for Saturday night's championship game.
"We turned away about 200 people at game time. We were letting one person in and one person leave. They were lined all the way down to the roundabout and around the corner. Hate to turn people away, (but) we just had to do it. It turned out it was the biggest grossing day in the 73-year history of Players Retreat," said Gusler.
As he made good on his promise to buy fans a beer following the win, Gusler realized that half his bar cleared out immediately following the game to rush The Belltower. The university shared a video of the scene, with students and fans cheering around the lit-up around the campus landmark.
"I've never seen such an exciting moment like this when everyone runs to the Belltower on Hillsborough Street," said NC State student Paul Reboul.
[Ads /]
"I know me and my fellow tour guides, we were excited by it. We were happy. Obviously, we told the students on a (tour) about the red light at the Belltower and how every time we win it, the light shines. And so, like I say, we shining right now, and I'm happy about it," added NC State junior T'Daideon Major.
The victory ended a decades-long streak for the Wolfpack.
"It's been a long time, 37 years (since the last ACC Men's Basketball Championship). So, you know, I'm really excited for what they did," added freshman Cameron Chalk.
Even sweeter: NC State's five-wins-in-five-days stretch included wins over Triangle rivals Duke and UNC.
"I'm from Europe and everybody knows Duke and UNC there, but not the Wolfpack. So that was good. It was very good," said Reboul.
[Ads /]
During the streak, NC State had four single-digit wins and four second-half comebacks, including a game-tying buzzer-beater to send their match-up with Virginia into overtime.
"As a lifelong (NC) State fan, we never give up. We get frustrated sometimes, but we never give up. I think we always thought it was a possibility. And then, of course, you just flash back to the 1983 team and the Cardiac Pack. I mean, Cardiac Pack relates to every sport in NC State, every game," said Gusler.
Gusler noted fans returned after The Belltower celebrations Saturday night, with Players Retreat staying open an hour later than normal to accommodate all the excitement. He's anticipating a similar scene Thursday night, when NC State will face off against Texas Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"We're going to come up with a couple of cool drinks or something as specials, and I think we're going to get really busy early and I think it's going to be another amazing night for us, for the Wolfpack and for our business as well," said Gusler.
WATCH | NC State Wolfpack hosts NCAA Tournament watch party with fans after ACC Title win
The game is in Pittsburgh and is set to tip off at 9:40.