GLENDALE, Arizona — When North Carolina State faces Purdue in the Men’s Final Four, a familiar face hopes to help lead the Wolfpack to their 10th straight win.
Casey Morsell is in his third year at NC State, the Cinderella story of the tournament, after spending his first two college season at Virginia.
If the name sounds familiar, it should. Before college, Morsell was a star at Saint John’s College High School in Northwest DC.
He’s one of eight DMV natives to make either the Men’s or the Women’s Final Four this year.
The Fort Washington, Maryland, native was the 2019 Gatorade Player of the Year award winner in the District, along with being a Washington Post first-team All-Met, and the WCAC co-player of the year.
The guard played two years at Virginia, making just 16 starts, before transferring to NC State.
The Wolfpack guard started 20 of the 30 games he played in his first year in Raleigh, but has started 74 games over the last two years, as his role has increased.
Casey Morsell is third on the team this season in scoring, averaging 11.4 points per game. He’s also played a big role in the team’s current 9-game winning streak.
Recently, Morsell reflected on his journey from the DMV to the Final Four.
“It’s something you’ve always dreamed of,” said Morsell. “Growing up in the DMV area, there’s definitely a lot of high-level competition. It’s been a fun ride along this journey. The fact that we’re here now, and playing on the biggest stage is something I’m definitely thankful for.”
It’s a stage that North Carolina State almost wasn’t on.
Heading into the ACC Tournament in D.C., the Wolfpack needed five wins in five days just to make the NCAA tournament with an automatic bid. A tall task, but not an impossible one.
“This is a great story,” said Morsell after NC State beat North Carolina in the ACC Championship game. “It’s motivating. We were down, we were in a hole, we were trying to figure things out. And we just focused on going 1-0. Every game was our Super Bowl, every game was our championship.”
Casey Morsell and North Carolina State are now just two wins away from claiming college basketball’s biggest prize, a National Championship.
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