What NC State coach Wes Moore said about facing South Carolina in Final Four

They’ve cut down a net, they’ve got Final Four bound baseball caps and they’re headed to Cleveland, Ohio for the women’s collegiate basketball national semifinals.

Head coach Wes Moore is thrilled for his team, and they’re ready to raise the stakes as he guides No. 3 N.C. State to face the undefeated No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday in the Final Four.

Moore on Tuesday addressed his thoughts on this week’s matchup. Here’s what he said about taking on the Gamecocks.

Initial reaction to facing USC

“What a wake-up call,” Moore said on his realization of N.C. State’s next opponent.

The Wolfpack’s appearance in the Final Four was a feat Moore felt immense pride achieving, after having felt doubted all season long. He thought of the players who didn’t get to experience this euphoria, the ones who lost in double overtime two years ago. He thought of former coach Kay Yow, who took N.C. State to the Final Four three times.

Then, the reality of what awaits the Wolfpack started to sink in. That meant it was time to immediately get into film.

“Yeah, started watching film actually on the plane ride home,” Moore said. “Clipped one of South Carolina’s games.”

Moore was immediately impressed with the Gamecocks’ film, specifically highlighting Kamilla Cardoso and USC’s long-distance shooting. N.C. State has allowed just 60 points per game this season, with only four opponents scoring more than 80.

That didn’t change the Wolfpack’s leader from stating how difficult it is to slow USC down. He went as far as calling this year’s group of Gamecocks one of the best teams coach Dawn Staley has had.

“I think this is the best team they’ve ever had simply because I think they’ve got so many people that can score the ball,” Moore said. “They’ve got so many really good shooters that you can’t sit down on Cardoso and collapse on her because they got a lot of people that can knock down 3s around her. Even as great a player as she is, you also got to be concerned about the others.”

A bit of a wrecking ball

N.C. State’s men’s and women’s basketball programs have blown by all NCAA Tournament predictions. The women’s team picked up upset wins over No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Stanford to earn their date with the Gamecocks this week, while the men reached their first-ever Final Four as well.

Call them a wrecking ball, destroying tournament brackets over the last week. Though Moore say being a party-crasher might be a better word choice.

“Hey, we’re coming to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, you’ve got to crash the party, right?” Moore said jokingly.

Moore said his team is used to being counted out, so it’s familiar territory seeing N.C. State listed as an 11.5-point underdog to the Gamecocks.

Moore is perfectly content with the challenge, and doesn’t want this year’s season to end.

“We don’t want it to end. We’re having fun. We want to keep going. So we’ll do that,” he said. “We have talked about, we’re always the underdog. We were picked eighth in the ACC. We were unranked when the season started. More Rodney Dangerfield. We just don’t get any respect. That’s OK. We’re having fun. We’re excited about playing again. So it’s all good.”

Recognizing a dynasty

Of the Final Four teams, N.C. State is an anomaly. They weren’t expected to make it this far, and it took those upsets to reach that point. The last four squads standing can sometimes to be repetitive, and they mostly are this year: South Carolina, Iowa and UConn.

This year the Wolfpack reached the goal of being in that star-studded group.

“Let’s face it, a lot of times it’s the same three or four teams,” Moore said. “But it’s just amazing. I’m so happy for our players to be able to experience this. They’ve worked so hard.”

Moore has experience in the Final Four, but not as much as as Staley. The Gamecocks are heading to their fourth-straight appearance and sixth under Staley. Moore’s used to seeing South Carolina reach the Final Four, but not facing the Gamecocks in the national semifinals.

He’s emphasizing to his players to have fun on the court and not worry about the stakes, the opponent or other pressures that could seep in their minds: Just enjoy the experience and have pride for their accomplishments.

“It’s a great challenge,” Moore said. “Dawn Staley has been here many times, unbelievable coach.”

How to watch

When: Friday, April 5 at 7 p.m.

Where: Mortgage Field House, Cleveland, Ohio

TV: ESPN (Streaming on ESPN+)