Cinderella NC State Joins Powerhouse Purdue in Men’s Final Four Madness

The NCAA Tournament’s most unexpected party crashers wouldn’t stop dancing. Despite being decided underdogs against mighty Duke, the NC State Wolfpack continued their out-of-nowhere dream run by upsetting the Blue Devils 76-64 to punch their ticket to the Final Four.

Leading the wild celebration was the unlikely hero DJ Burns, who erupted for 29 points and looked like a man possessed on the biggest stage. The soft-spoken Burns credited the team’s laser-focused “commitment” for propelling their improbable streak to 9 straight wins and a first Final Four berth since 1983.

Boilermaker Behemoth Powers Through

While NC State represented the quintessential March Madness Cinderella story, Purdue epitomized the sheer dominance of a basketball juggernaut. The tournament’s overall #1 seed leaned on the virtually unstoppable force of 7’4″ monster Zach Edey, whose 40 points and 16 boards overwhelmed Tennessee in a 72-66 slugfest.

In a touching moment, the humble giant deflected praise to his teammates when asked about finally leading Purdue to their first Final Four in over 40 years. “We’ve got a lot of guys doing the right things…we knew it was going to be a war,” Edey stated matter-of-factly.

An Unlikely Meeting in the Desert

So now, in a perfect cocktail of March Madness magic, the astounding underdogs from Raleigh will clash with the virtually unbeatable machine from West Lafayette in the Final Four’s opening act in Glendale, Arizona.

On one side: the ultimate “why not us?” longshot story that’s captivated the nation, fresh off slaying their hated rival Blue Devils. On the other: potentially one of the most talented and physically imposing teams of the modern era, anchored by a center who looks like he could wrestle grizzly bears.

Could NC State’s glass slipper slip past the immovable Boilermaker object? Or will Edey and the company impose their supreme will? All we know is the drama will be thick enough to cut with a Weight Room weight when these two opposed factions take the desert floor on April 6th.