"NC State reiterates that": Jon Rothstein uses the Wolfpack's dream run to declare NCAA Tournament 'greatest event in sports'

NC State continued its magical run with a 67-58 victory against Marquette Golden Eagles on Friday to book an Elite Eight spot. CBS Sports analyst Jon Rothstein feels that the performance of the Wolfpack is evidence of the NCAA tournament being the 'greatest event in sports'.

Rothstein made the comments in a discussion on the CBS Sports Network Show. After Wolfpack secured an Elite Eight berth, Rothstein was asked about NC State landing the early punches and Marquette not getting up. He replied:

"They have been landing punches since the start of the postseason, and NC State is a prime example of why the NCAA Tournament is the greatest event in sports!"

"Everything is fine with the format of the NCAA Tournament. NC State reiterates that."

Rothstein reasoned that NC State had an 8-11 record in the regular season and 8-0 record in the postseason. He gave the example of Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett not fouling NC State in the final seconds of the game, which Virginia lost.

Rothstein also mentioned about Micheal O’Connell forcing overtime with a 3-point shot against Virginia. Rothstein said that the Wolfpack would have lost the game as he advocated for not altering the NCAA format.

Wolfpack entered the tournament with four straight losses and seven losses from the last nine games.

It proceeded to pile up victories against the top-ranked teams, including Duke, Virginia, and UNC before getting their hands on the 2024 ACC Championship. It continued its unbeaten streak in the big dance, reaching the Elite Eight for the first time since 1986.

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How NC State's run raised doubts about NCAA selections earlier

It's not the first time Wolfpack is in conversation with regard to the NCAA tournament. Many top teams couldn't make it to the March Madness, and many suggested that teams like NC State caused the disruptions.

Teams like Seton Hall, St. John’s, Providence and Indiana State could not reach the big dance this year. NET rankings hampered their march to March Madness. St. John’s coach Rick Pitino shared the frustration:

“I think we should never mention that word again (NET) 'cause it’s fraudulent."

Teams like Wolfpack and UAB were the underdogs, but their victories caused disruptions in the tournament, resulting in big teams getting left out.