When the Duke Blue Devils take on the NC State Wolfpack, it will be just the third intrastate regional final in NCAA Tournament history.
Former ESPN researcher Jared Berson shared the statistic on Saturday morning. The other two in-state Elite Eight matchups, according to Berson, happened when Pitt played Villanova in 2009 and Kansas played Kansas State in 1988.
This will be the third time Duke and NC State will play this season (and the third time in the month of March), and this third matchup will be the rubber match.
The Blue Devils rolled past NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina, 79-64 on March 4. NC State then won the rematch in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, defeating Duke 74-69 on March 14. The win was part of the Wolfpack’s miracle run as they won five games in five days to win the ACC Tournament, clinching their spot in the March Madness field.
Duke vs NC State (South Region) will be the 3rd intrastate Regional Final since the Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, along with:
2009 East: Pitt vs Villanova
1988 Midwest: Kansas vs Kansas State— Jared Berson (@JaredBerson) March 30, 2024
Duke blew out Vermont and James Madison before the Blue Devils took down the 1-seed Houston Cougars to get to the Elite Eight. NC State knocked off Texas Tech, Oakland, and 2-seed Marquette Golden Eagles to extend their postseason winning streak to eight games.
The two teams will play for a spot in the Final Four on Sunday night.