GLENDALE, Ariz. — This shot will forever remain in North Carolina lore, the banked 3-pointer that started a remarkable three-week run.
It was the ACC Tournament semifinals before the Wolfpack made this remarkable jump from earning the ACC’s automatic bid to making the NCAA Tournament and making the program’s first appearance in the Final Four since 1983.
As the final seconds ticked down, trailing Virginia 58-55, Michael O’Connell of Chaminade High School in Mineola, La., received a pass from Casey Morsell in the backcourt and announced the only way North Carolina State would win the season. Knowing this, I set off in the opposite direction. In his words, “going on” meant creating a play.
The senior starting point guard did it well. He sank a 3-pointer at the horn to give the Wolfpack five more minutes.
They certainly took advantage of that opportunity, defeating the Cavaliers in overtime and then defeating North Carolina in the title game the next day.
The magic doesn’t stop there. North Carolina State pulled off three major upsets in four games in the tournament, defeating No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 3 Marquette and No. 4 Duke.
“I’ve seen it quite a bit. It’s been talked about on social media,” O’Connell said Thursday when asked about the shot at State Farm Stadium. “When I meet fans, they always bring that up to me. It’s a common theme in conversation. It’s pretty cool for sure, I was able to stay alive and win.
“I had a little space and a bit of extra time, so I stood up and took the shot.”
O’Connell played a big role in this run, averaging 6.5 points, 5.5 assists, and 5.0 rebounds. He was an iron man, playing 156 of the 165 minutes.
For Duke’s Elite Eight Shockers, he had an outstanding performance, recording six points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and just one turnover in 39 minutes.
“The fact that we won the ACC Championship and are still playing in this tournament is amazing,” he said. “It’s a dream come true, something I dreamed of as a kid coming true. The fact that we get to play in the Final Four and have a chance to win a championship is an incredible experience. ”
It was a detour for O’Connell, a star lacrosse player at Chaminade University who was committed to playing lacrosse at the University of Maryland.
Eventually he turned to basketball and attended Stanford University instead.
After graduating last spring, he decided to enter the transfer portal in hopes of getting a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament. And he liked the idea of returning to North Carolina State University on the East Coast, where he plans to transfer.
This year did not go as planned until the end. Everything has been going well since then. Of course, none of that would have been possible without O’Connell’s shooting.
“It’s hard to grasp the whole journey and what exactly happened because I’m still living through the situation,” he said. “Once the season is over, I’ll be able to sit back and look back on the season and enjoy it. But it’s hard to put into words because it’s a little surreal right now.”
