Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Jeff Smith

NC State’s DJ Horne Emotionally Sums Up Wolfpack’s Run to ACC Title: ‘Why Not Us?’

Fresh off one of the most incredible conference tournament runs in college basketball history, Raleigh native and NC State star DJ Horne couldn’t contain his emotions Saturday night.

The Wolfpack became the lowest seed ever to win the ACC tournament title and the first team to accomplish the feat while playing five games in five days. Horne, who transferred to NC State for his final season of collegiate eligibility, was the leader amid his team’s wild run and was understandably overcome by emotion after Saturday’s 84–76 championship-sealing victory over North Carolina in Washington.

Speaking with ESPN after the game, Horne explained what the ACC title meant to him after returning to play for his hometown team this season. Horne previously played at Illinois State and Arizona State.

“Man, I’m at a loss for words right now. I came home with a mission and to just see this, all the confetti all over the place, red and white. This [is] for the city, this [is] for 919,” Horne said, offering a nod to Raleigh’s area code.

Horne then made an emphatic statement that resonates for a Wolfpack team and fan base that’s been the third wheel of college basketball relevance in the Research Triangle for much of the past 40 years.

“I just want to say, shout out Wolfpack nation. The job’s not done. And like I said from the jump, why not us?” Horne stated.

NC State, the No. 10 seed in the ACC after regular-season play, wasn’t even considered a bubble team by most experts at the start of tournament play. The improbable title run featured Wolfpack victories over intrastate rivals Duke and North Carolina, along with LouisvilleSyracuse and Virginia.

It’s the Wolfpack’s first ACC tournament championship since 1987.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.