N&O Stories On 40th Anniversary Of 1974 NC State Team

[Atlanta Duke]

I do not know why the N&O is runnning these stories now on the 40th anniversary of David Thompson and NC State beating UCLA for the NCAA championship in March 1974, but for anyone who remembers that team or is interested in reading about the greatest college basketball player I have ever seen the links are below.

1974 NC State Wolfpack: David Thompson walked on air
http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/16/3628111/1974-nc-state-wolfpack-david-thompson.html

1974 Wolfpack stakes claim as greatest college team
http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/16/3628127/1974-wolfpack-stakes-claim-as.html#

On team full of stars, Sloan’s contributions still overshadowed
http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/16/3628143/decock-on-team-full-of-stars-sloans.html#

Bill Walton: Loss to 1974 Pack ‘bleakest day’
http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/16/3628131/walton-loss-to-1974-pack-bleakest.html#storylink=cpy

1974 ACC final changed NCAA tourney landscape
http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/02/16/3613424/1974-acc-final-changed-ncaa-tourney.html#storylink=cpy

Before there was Michael Jordan there was David Thompson - of the two Thompson was thye superior college player. Link below to the classic Sports Illustrated cover of Thompson skying over Bill Walton in the 1974 national semi-final game in Greensboro.
http://www.cnnsi.com/vault/cover/featured/8376/index.htm

In the days before ESPN college basketball was very much a regional game with few national broadcasts prior to the NCAA tournament. I was fortunate to have been able to have seen so many of David Thompson's games broadcast by Jim Thacker & Billy Packer (Sail with the Pilot!).

[78Devil]

I remember the ACC tournament that year. I was a die hard Maryland fan, and was camping the Appalachian Trail. But we had a trusty radio. Do I recall that Maryland beat UNC in a nailbiter in the semis and then lost to NC State in the final? All I remember is that the entire tournament was heart-stopping exciting!

[luvdahops]

For some reason, we got the Sunday Raycom/CD Chesley ACC Game of the Week in Cincinnati where I grew up. What a privilege that was. David Thompson was absolutely the greatest college player I've ever seen. He was far better and certainly more dominant than Jordan as a collegian. More exciting to watch, too, despite dunking being against the rules at the time.

Watching ACC games that year in general, and NC State and Thompson in particular, is what hooked me on college hoops as a kid. The semi-final win over Walton and UCLA was nothing short of epic, especially when you consider how dominant the Bruins were in that era. Thompson was tremendous; in addition to scoring over Walton several times (as shown the SI cover), he also blocked one of the Big Redhead's shots in the early going and grabbed several key rebounds in traffic.

[Olympic Fan]

I remember the ACC tournament that year. I was a die hard Maryland fan, and was camping the Appalachian Trail. But we had a trusty radio. Do I recall that Maryland beat UNC in a nailbiter in the semis and then lost to NC State in the final? All I remember is that the entire tournament was heart-stopping exciting!

You remember wrong when it comes to UNC-Maryland the semifinals.

Maryland absolutely destroyed UNC in the semifinals ... it was 50-34 at the half and the Terps won going away, 105-85.

Here's the kicker -- even with Maryland coasting past UNC and a tough game with NC State coming up in 24 hours, Lefty never called off the dogs. His studs -- Lucas, Elmore, McMilllen -- all went 38-40 minutes (in a racehorse game). Assistant coach Dave Pritchett later told Ron Morris that the UNC win "was a hate game'" where Lefty took out years of frustration against Dean Smith and the Tar Heels.

The problem is, it may have cost Maryland in the finals -- by the end of regulation (much less the overtime), John Lucas was visibly gassed. A key play late in the overtime was when Len Elmore couldn't get off his feet to even attempt to corral a high pass from Lucas.

Lefty got his revenge against Dean ... but at a high cost.

BTW: I was there that night and it is still the greatest game I've ever seen ... and David Thompson is without debate the greatest player in ACC history -- at least as a college player. Although he didn't have his best game that night, he "only" scored 29 points. The game belonged to Tommy Burleson and his career night -- 38 points against the best defensive center in the ACC (Elmore).