Arizona Victory is the Biggest by a 1st Year Coach at NC State

NC State defeated #2 Arizona 90-84 last night in the Battle 4 Atlantis, and the Wolfpack helped first year head coach Kevin Keatts accomplish something that has never been done in school history.

According to Tim Peeler, last night’s victory marked the highest ranked opponent that a 1st year Men’s Basketball coach has ever beaten.

That's the highest ranked team a first-year @PackMensBball coach has ever beaten, dating back to Everett Case, who beat eventual national champion Holy Cross in his inaugural season of 1946-47, the year before the AP men's basketball poll began. @CoachKeattsNCSU pic.twitter.com/XrqzDR4lDL

— Tim Peeler (@PackTimPeeler) November 23, 2017

Keatts also led his team to do something that hasn’t been done at NC State in a very long time.

The last time, and only other time, that the Wolfpack beat a Top-2 Non-Conference team in a regular season game was on December 30th, 1958, when NC State defeated #2 Cincinnati.

The Wolfpack have beaten a Top-2 Non-conference opponent 3 other times in the NCAA Tournament.

March 21st, 2015 – 71-68 – #2 Villanova – Sweet 16
April 4th, 1983 – 54-52 – #1 Houston – Finals
March 23, 1974 – 80-77 (2OT) – #2 UCLA – Final Four