NC State's Cinderella run extends into NCAA Tournament

NC State won their sixth straight game with an emphatic 80-67 victory over sixth-seeded Texas Tech. It almost feels wrong to call the Wolfpack a Cinderella, because Cinderella didn't show up at the ball, dunk on her evil stepsisters and double-knot her glass slipper so it would stay on for weeks.

In the ACC Tournament, the No. 10 seed Wolfpack won five games in five nights, culminating in a defeat of March Madness No. 1 seed North Carolina for the conference title. Only one play would be considered a true fairy tale moment, when they forced overtime in the ACC semifinal with a banked-in three-pointer.

There's no reason to think their run can't continue to the second weekend, either. After the biggest upset of the tournament so far, NC State will face No. 14 seed Oakland instead of No. 3 seed Kentucky. For the first time in their last five games, NC State might actually be favored, which is also quite unlike Cinderella.

Cinderella's pumpkin may well roll into Dallas for the Sweet Sixteen. But after six straight wins, North Carolina State must feel like Prince Charming.