North Carolina’s Top Cinderella Stories from March Madness

Rolando Rosa Sports Betting Expert

9 minute read

When it comes to men’s college basketball in North Carolina, the spotlight always shines brightest on Duke and UNC. 

And with good reason. 

The heated rivals are two of the most notable bluebloods. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels have combined for a staggering 11 national titles and 38 trips to the Final Four. Both programs are also trending to be high seeds in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. 

While there are plenty of rivals within the state of North Carolina, we can all set aside our differences for the launch of sports betting on March 11th! Check out our comprehensive list of the North Carolina sportsbooks that we expect to be live at launch.

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However with the Big Dance rapidly approaching, it’s the perfect time to reflect on some remarkable runs from below-the-radar North Carolina programs. 

Let’s travel back to relive the Cinderella stories that captured our hearts and created cherished memories. 

2002 UNC Wilmington (Round of 32)

After not winning an NCAA Tournament game in their first quarter century of existence, the Seahawks soared to new heights in 2002 under head coach Jerry Wainwright. UNC Wilmington finished the regular season with a 19-9 mark. The Seahawks then rolled through the CAA Tournament, capped off with a 66-51 victory vs. VCU in Richmond Arena to claim the automatic bid. 

UNC Wilmington entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 13 seed in the South Regional. No. 4 seed USC, who earned an at-large bid as the runner-up in the Pac-10 Tournament, loomed as their first-round opponent. 

All season long, the Seahawks were extremely stout defensively, ranking 17th nationally in points per game allowed. Yet, in this riveting clash, UNC Wilmington cranked up the offense. The Seahawks produced their best offensive output of the season to pull off a stunning 93-89 overtime victory vs. the Trojans. 

UNC Wilmington seemingly had the win in the bag during regulation. Yet, USC stormed back from a 19-point deficit to force overtime on a 3-pointer by Errick Craven with eight seconds to go. 

However, Brett Blizard finished with 18 points and calmly drained the game-sealing free throws for the Seahawks with under three seconds left in overtime. 

Craig Callahan also scored 18 points in the program-defining victory. The well-balanced Seahawks had six players score in double figures. 

UNC Wilmington lost to eventual national runner-up Indiana in the Round of 32 but this win was emblematic of its “Dream big. Focus small” mantra.  

"When that ball went in to tie the game up, you have to ask yourself, `How bad do you want it?' " Wainwright said via the USC archives. "At a very deflating moment, they pulled together. They played great in overtime."

2008 Davidson (Elite Eight)

Behind a baby-faced future NBA legend, Davidson slayed a trail of goliaths en route to the 2008 Elite Eight. Four-time NBA champion point guard Stephen Curry boldly introduced himself to the nation as he led the Wildcats to the program’s first Elite Eight appearance in four decades. 

Curry paced the Southern Conference in points per game (25.5) and earned consensus Second-team All-American honors. Davidson steamrolled the league with an undefeated mark, topped off with a 65-49 victory vs. Elon in the conference title game. 

Davidson was slotted as the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Regional. The Wildcats didn’t have to venture far for their first-round matchup vs. No. 7 seed Gonzaga, as it was held in Raleigh. 

Curry was bottled up in the first half with just 10 points. However, he erupted after the break to finish with 40 points as Davidson knocked off Gonzaga 82-76. Davidson came back from an 11-point second-half deficit as Curry sank a huge 3-pointer from the right wing with nearly a minute left to help deliver the upset. 

Davidson then produced another thrilling second-half comeback in Raleigh in the Round of 32 against a No. 2 seed Georgetown squad that featured future NBA All-Star center Roy Hibbert. 

The Wildcats trailed by 17 and once again Curry was limited early. Yet, the sharpshooter found his form with 25 of his 30 points after halftime. During the comeback, Curry converted a 4-point play and hit a pair of 3-pointers. Jason Richards also added 20 points in the 74-70 dispatching of the Hoyas. 

Davidson hit the road for the Sweet 16 at Ford Field in Detroit to take on No. 3 seed Wisconsin, the nation’s No. 1 defense. 

Yet, Curry and company were undaunted by Wisconsin’s physicality in the domed football stadium. Chef Curry carved up the Badgers with 33 points and outscored them by himself 22-20 in the second half en route to a 73-56 victory. In a bit of foreshadowing, after his six 3-pointers, Curry was greeted in the locker room by his eventual NBA Finals rival LeBron James. 

The incredible journey ended with a narrow 59-57 defeat against No. 1 seed Kansas. But the legend of Curry was cemented as he put the Wildcats on the map. 

"We made history for our school," Curry said via the archives of ESPN.com. "Not a lot of people expected a lot from us, so I'm proud of what we have accomplished, but it hurts a lot to have been this close to the Final Four."

1977 Charlotte (Final Four)

In their maiden voyage to the NCAA Tournament, the 49ers struck gold with a miraculous march to the Final Four. Charlotte’s run was the first time a team reached the Final Four in their initial appearance in the Big Dance. 

Boston Celtics legend Cedrick “Cornbread” Maxwell headlined a Charlotte squad that ranked No. 10 nationally in points per game while winning the Sun Belt regular season and tournament championships. Maxwell was a Third-team All-American with averages of 22.3 points and 12.1 rebounds. 

Charlotte escaped with a 71-70 victory vs. New Orleans in the Sun Belt title game, paving the way for another close contest in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 

Charlotte edged Central Michigan 91-86 in overtime. Maxwell was stellar with 32 points on 11-of-15 shooting and 18 rebounds. 

In the next round, Charlotte routed Syracuse 81-59. All five Charlotte starters scored in double digits. Maxwell tallied 19 points, five rebounds, three blocks, and two steals. 

Charlotte punched its ticket to the Final Four with a 75-68 victory against Michigan. The 49ers held the Wolverines to 40 percent shooting.Maxwell was once again masterful with 25 points, 13 rebounds, four blocks, and three steals. Lew Massey added a double-double (19 points, 11 rebounds) as well. 

Charlotte suffered a narrow 51-49 defeat to Marquette in the Final Four. Yet, the impact made in the community was profound. “We were the Panthers man, before the Panthers got here, we were the biggest game in town,” Maxwell said to WBTV. “You think about Charlotte at that time, we made a run that propelled this city to think more about not being this regional city but a national city.”

1983 NC State (National champions)

The late Jim Valvano’s national title winning Cardiac Pack personified the sheer randomness and insanity of March Madness. Senior captain Dereck Whittenburg broke his foot during the regular season as NC State finished with a 17-10 mark. Whittenburg returned but the Wolfpack got all they could handle in the ACC Tournament to even make the Big Dance. 

In the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, NC State survived with a 71-70 victory against a Wake Forest squad that they pummeled by 41 in the regular season finale. Lorenzo Charles made the game-winning free throw to secure the win. 

An in-state battle against ACC regular season champion North Carolina was on tap next. The Tar Heels featured eventual Basketball Hall of Fame shooting guard Michael Jordan, First-team All-American forward Sam Perkins, and standout center Brad Daugherty. However, Jordan fouled out and the Wolfpack gutted out a gritty 91-84 overtime victory behind 11 points from Whittenburg in the extra frame. 

NC State then squeaked past eventual Basketball Hall of Fame center Ralph Sampson and Virginia 81-78 in the ACC Tournament title game. The Wolfpack ensured a trip to the NCAA Tournament by holding Sampson to six points in the second half. 

Six-seeded NC State needed more magic in the opening round to outlast No. 11 Pepperdine 69-67 in double overtime. NC State trailed by six with under a minute left in the first overtime but forced another session with a short off-balance jumper from Cozell McQueen. From there, the Wolfpack finished the job to move on to face No. 3 seed UNLV. 

NC State recovered from a 12-point second half deficit to storm past UNLV 71-70. Thurl Bailey led the Wolfpack with 25 points, including the game-winning fadeaway jumper off the glass with four seconds remaining. 

A 75-56 victory against No. 10 seed Utah pitted NC State in a rematch vs. Virginia in the Elite Eight. NC State trailed 62-61 with 23 seconds left but Charles sank two free throws and Sampson missed a shot at the buzzer. Whittenburg shined with 24 points, while Charles tallied a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds). 

In the Final Four, Whittenburg (20 points, six assists) and Bailey (20 points, 10 rebounds) helped NC State defeat Georgia 67-60. The Wolfpack hounded the Bulldogs into 35 percent shooting. 

The national title game was against vaunted No. 1 ranked Houston, with future Basketball Hall of Fame members Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. It’s vividly remembered as one of the classic endings in the history of college basketball. 

NC State took a 33-25 lead into halftime. However, Houston battled back to take a seven-point edge in the second half. Yet, the Cougars began coughing the ball up and missing free throws, allowing the Wolfpack to creep back into the game. 

With the game tied at 52, Whittenburg fired a deep shot from 30 feet that fell short. Charles snared the rebound near the basket and dunked it at the buzzer to set off the iconic celebration of Valvano gleefully rushing the court. After becoming the first squad to win a national title after losing at least 10 games, NC State stamped itself as an inspirational testament for never giving up. 

''We earned the right,'' Charles said via the New York Times archives, ''to be called the Cardiac Pack.''

Rolando Rosa

Rolando Rosa is a South Florida native and graduate of Florida Atlantic University. Rolando is a sports editor/writer and has worked on iCasino content since 2022 across multiple websites. More from Rolando Rosa