Fargo's Elite 8 Game of the Year (15-9-1 GOY YTD)

This is a play on the DUKE BLUE DEVILS for our Elite 8 Game of the Year. It has been an improbable run for No. 11 seed NC State as it has now won eight straight games to get to the Elite 8. After winning five games in five days in the ACC Tournament, the Wolfpack have carried that momentum into the NCAA Tournament with three wins but it is safe to say, they have been fortunate. This is not a very good defense despite what the numbers have shown as on the season, NC State finished No. 280 in opponent three-point percentage and it leaves opponents wide open as Texas Tech, Oakland and Marquette simply could not make their shots as they went a combined 23-97 (23.7 percent) so if any one of those teams shot their average, NC State would not even be here. Duke rolled over a couple mid-majors in the first two rounds and then took out No. 1 seed Houston on Friday. The Blue Devils no doubt caught a break as Houston played the final 26-plus minutes without All-American Jamal Shead and he means more to this team than arguably any other team in the country. That being said, Duke took advantage of it and now catches an overachieving team at the right time. The Blue Devils are No. 21 in Effective Field Goal Percentage and No. 31 in Turnover Rate and they are elite from long range, finishing No. 13 in the country in three-point shooting. They went just 5-20 against the Wolfpack in the ACC Tournament loss so hit their shots here and they roll. 10* (658) Duke Blue Devils