“David Thompson is that kind of a player.” (Link)
In 1999, NC State faced a 19th ranked Purdue on the road, and pulled off an upset, defeating the Boilermakers 61-59. In the 2nd half, the Wolfpack trailed by 12 points, but Purdue only made 2 field goals in the final 13 minutes. Forward Ron Kelley hit a game winning three-pointer with 15 seconds left, and finished the game with 17 points. Guard Anthony Grundy led NC State with 18 points.
In 2004, the Wolfpack started the season ranked, and were ranked 16th when Purdue came to town. NC State pretty much led for the entirety of what was an ugly game, and Julius Hodge led the Pack with 12 points.
After winning the first 4 games against Purdue, the Wolfpack has lost the past two games against the Boilermakers.
A decade later, in 2014, NC State lost their first game to Purdue 61-66 on the road in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The game was tied with 5 minutes left, but the home team found a way. The Wolfpack’s Kyle Washington led the team with 17 points.
In 2021, NC State and Purdue played one another on a neutral court in the Basketball Hall of Fame Invitational, and almost pulled off an upset against the #1 team in the land. The Wolfpack took the Boilermakers to Overtime, but ended up losing 72-82, despite Terquavion Smith’s 21 point effort.