Family. It's time for a true look at your world. Let's get hooked up for pack therapy. Here's your host, Tim Donnelly and Graham Hill. Welcome to another edition of Pet Therapy. I am Graham Hill. First things first, couple of housekeeping with this probably being one of the biggest weeks in interstate basketball in recent years. The goal, the goal is to have just coverage nonstop. So we're gonna be doing episodes every single day this week with some special guests, some special programming notes. So we're going to try to go outside just the basic Xs and Os analysis, drilling up and down the court, which is why we have Tim Belo my father NC State, 1984 graduate, join us on pack therapy. Um Dad, first things first. Welcome to the radio business. They always say that you work in here because you might have a face for radio. Unfortunately, I probably got that from you. But either way you look good, you represent NC State. Just let's start with this. You and I at an early age became sports fans. One reason for that was because your dad, my grandfather Bradley Faircloth had a rich history in the AC C 25 year, 25 year veteran of a college football officiating and 17 of those seasons were spent working for the AC C 83. Coincidentally enough when state won the national championship, he was named supervisor of football officials for the AC C and responsibilities of assistant commissioner. How does your dad, my granddad help kind of shape your love for sports at such an early ages. Is this a shirt too? That's one of his. Yeah. Oh, my gosh, you, uh, you're gonna get me emotional here. Um, my dad, he, he was involved in sports ever since I can remember. He umpired baseball, he officiated basketball, he umpired or officiated football. So at an early age he took me everywhere he went. I can remember going to small schools high point college, Catawba Lenora and going into basketball gyms with him on the weekend while he officiated. I kind of ran around. I didn't get in trouble, didn't get lost. Things were different back then, but he had a huge influence on me growing up from the standpoint of getting me involved in sports. That's all I knew. Um, when I was growing up, things were a little different. Um, we played football, baseball, basketball, so we were always involved in sports, doing stuff year round. But he was the big influence and I guess because of what he was doing outside of his, on a normal job at an early age before he became assistant commissioner, he was always involved in sports. So as a result of that, I was too, I'm sure you say when things were different back then you didn't need a credential to be on the side of the court. Um But you've told me plenty of stories. As a matter of fact, when we went to Cameron Indoor for a Duke basketball game, this past basketball season, you showed me a picture of you sitting courtside just how you, because obviously working in sports, I get to have the, the great opportunity of sitting courtside at Cameron and North Stadium with a media credential be on the sideline at football games. How special was it for you when you were able to go to games, like maybe a sweet 16 an NCAA tournament that was being hosted at Greensboro Coliseum AC C tournament and sit at the baseline, get that perspective of the game. One of the things that I, I'll never forget and I wish your grandfather had been around to see you actually sit courtside at Cameron was, for instance, in 1974 when the final four came to the Greensboro Coliseum, my dad was very involved in uh getting that tournament there, actually securing a spot in Greensboro, that was kind of unheard of Greensboro is kind of nowhere. Um And as a result, I, I got to be a ball boy for that whole tournament. So I literally sat right under the basket, um, and watched in the semifinal game, uh, state play UCL A Bill Walton. I mean, I, I, I'm not gonna go through Monte Tau, Tommy Burl and all that, that team David Thompson. We know what happened. That game was the semifinal game and then they went on to beat Marquette in the actual championship game, but it was unreal. It was kind of surreal looking back on it. Now going to Cameron Indoor, he used to just get me in and say, son, don't get into trouble. Um, there was a couple of times like you just talked about where I was fortunate enough to find a seat. Right. Press road, no harm, no foul. Right. Then there was a couple of other times where I was stuck up in the rafters, but those kind of games and that kind of experience, um, there's nothing like it and I'll never forget them. So, um, I was just happy again to see that you got to do some stuff and, and hopefully in the future we'll be able to do more things like that. It's really cool to think about for me and I'll try not to get emotional here as well. My grandfather who again passed away before you and I sort of had a relationship with each other knowing how much of an impact he had on the AC C just motivated me hearing the stories about it to want to work in an industry like this, you know, just to prove to people that I didn't get this job through a linkedin application um had an internship at Duke grinded it out at D 3D 3 athletics at William Peace University. Now being here at 999, the fin uh co-hosted with pack therapy and, you know, getting to see NC state make this final four appearance, which we'll get more into it just, it really is surreal. So I'm glad that we were able to kind of get that out of the way to begin this. Now, let's get more into your personal story. My dad, Tim Flo have joined us here on Pack therapy. 1984 graduate. What made you attend NC State or how did you, how did you become a Wolf Pack fan growing up in your childhood? I'll tell you it's an interesting story. Um Well, I, I gotta be honest, the reason that I got went to state is because I couldn't get into Duke. I couldn't get into Caroline. Yeah. Well, dad went to Duke, couldn't get into Carolina State was kind of a fallback, so to speak for me. But interesting little side note when I was growing up, I was a little undersized a little shorter and everything. And when I played basketball, um I was definitely the shortest kid on the team right? There was a little known uh guard on the 1974 team, Monte Tao, who I heard yesterday, good interview, um who was very undersized, so to speak, but was very instrumental in them winning the 1974 championship and my mother absolutely loved him. So, um kind of a default going to NC State. But as a result of my experience there specifically with sports fell in love with it, the whole thing. I mean, that whole experience in 1983 you'll never forget it. And then of course, going to NC State back in 8384 it's a lot different than it looks now. Uh One being quarter filling, you had to, you had to heal. You didn't even have the Beachers. We could have a whole another podcast about some of the stories you've told me about the rowdy times you guys had out there. But this is a basketball podcast. So let's focus in on this. What was it like attending games at Reynolds Coliseum as a student. I'm talking like old Barn, like the vintage Reynolds Coliseum. Oh, there was nothing like it. It's like Cameron nowadays. I mean, it just the excitement level being so close in such a small confined area, um was totally different. It really was, uh I'll never forget talking about 83 that season. Um going to the game in uh uh Reynolds when we played Carolina, they were ranked number one in the country and we beat them. Um It was unbelievable. I mean, the, the smaller arenas, the I guess the intimacy of it and getting all of everybody involved right there. It's different than going into the PNC. I still love going to watch them play, but totally, totally different experience back then. And I'm sure a lot of people who were my age that were there, they'll tell you the same thing as it was being coined during that time. What did the phrase survive and advance mean to you as a fan as a student? Just what's your perspective that you have? And that you remember watching that 1983 team under Jim Valvano do what they did? Well, that's a good question. I don't know that I looked at it that much. I was uh uh I was just in love with sports and with the team, we had a good team that year. A lot of people don't really realize or remember that we had a really good team. Um Whittenberg broke his foot and that kind of hurt us uh towards the end of the year, but obviously he was able to come back. But I mean, if you look at it, here's some similarities, some, some parallels to this year's team. We beat U VA twice um with Ralph Sampson. OK, we beat them in the regular season towards the end of the year. Then guess what we did? We beat them in or excuse me, we beat them in the AC C championship and then we ended up beating them in the elite eight, same type story. But, um, I don't know that it was so much survive and advance. I think that got coined a little bit. Uh, it was right. That was, that was Jimmy V's kind of whole philosophy, you know, foul put people on the foul line. We go into Pepperdine or go out west for the first round. We play Pepperdine. I think it was two or three overtimes. And so that whole thing I think came about as a result of what Valvano did. Let's talk about Jim Valvano. You got to see him actually as a coach going to games and seeing him on the side of the court on the baseline for someone like me, I've only been able to watch just the 1983 DVD of the national championship game. What was it like seeing him as a coach? What do you remember about his philosophy, his mindset and just any sort of stories that you, that stands out to you that you remember watching him at Reynolds? I think my memories of him were that he was very passionate. I think he had a lot of fun. Um and he did some crazy stuff. I do remember that he would, he would call a time out and be playing man and go to a 23 zone or do something totally different. Um Again, back then, not necessarily realizing what he was doing or why he was doing it today, I have a better appreciation for what he was trying to accomplish. But I think just his, his passion for the game and you could tell he had fun, you could tell the kids loved playing for him, or at least it seemed like that and that's what they all say. Um, but those are the things I probably remember most unfortunate circumstances obviously for why his career ended at NC State. What was sort of your reaction or your emotions that you had based on that whole decision? Well, it's one of those things that's really, really bittersweet. Um And, you know, we could spend uh 100 podcasts on that. I just feel like to me, um, he got in some people's minds maybe a little bit too big for his own. I don't know, back in the day, we would have this phrase for his own britches, right? Um And I think that kind of maybe some people I don't want to say at State, but I'll say, uh nationally didn't necessarily like it. And, um, again, I'm not going to speculate, but compared to what he was accused of doing and the actual punishment, I think it was ridiculous. Um But again, we can speculate that on that all the time for a long time before we transition in this podcast. Let's circle all back to probably the greatest moment that he had in NC State basketball history, 1983 national championship game against Houston. Where are you at? Where were you watching it? And what do you remember about the Wittenberg shot Lorenzo Charles Duncan. And then what happened afterwards? I was in Brega Dorm, which is kind of on the west side of campus. Um, a couple of my really good, um, friends were staying there or were in the dorm there. I lived offside in Cary. So for the game, um, I decided to come to the, to the campus and watch it with some of my buddies. So we were in Brig dorm, which is about maybe 200 yards from the brickyard, which back then the brickyard was a lot different and they had set up kind of a makeshift bonfire type type thing. But, um, I was in Briga dorm and it was one of those things where, you know, we weren't, uh, completely out of hand, but we were enjoying, uh, you know, some of the festivities of the game. And I just remember that, I think, uh, my experience is like so many people. It was such chaos when Wittenberg finally got the ball and it was like when Lorenzo made the dunk, everybody was what just happened and when, you know, 10 seconds go by and we realize, oh my gosh, you kind of come out of the shock a little. We're like, what the heck just happened. Well, wait a minute, we just won. We were kind of like Valvano running around. They didn't have official reviews back then. No, it was kind of like, ok, guys, uh, you're gonna sit here for another couple of minutes. You just won the national championship. So, everybody, and I mean, everybody that was over on west campus and Brill and all the other dorms made their way to the, to the brickyard and it was just a mad, kinda, not sprint but kind of a run walk and it, it was kind of mayhem, not in a bad way. But, um, that's what happened. And I spent pretty much the whole night, um, between the brickyard and Hillsborough Street and some dorms and I mean, it was just a celebration all night. Didn't go to class the next day. Right? Didn't go to class the next day I got as far as I remember, I'm pretty sure they did, they canceled classes that next day. I'm pretty sure they did professors Sunday night sent out emails saying attendance was optional for Monday's. What are we doing? I want to transition now to the 2024 NC State men's basketball roster and their current NCAA tournament run that they're currently, as you mentioned, having some similarities between the two. We'll do that after we take a break right here more. Coming up on pack therapy, stick around. Welcome back into pack therapy again. Going outside the Xs and Os, the analysis for this episode. This is a generational to generational perspective episode. My dad, Tim Frio 1984 graduate. He was their boots on the ground last time NC State won a national championship. So now we're gonna kind of transition to, from his perspective of witnessing a national championship team to now my perspective of just witnessing an NCAA tournament run. As you could see the wolfpack are heading to Phoenix though. We're taking on Purdue this Saturday in the final four. Let's start with this. Let's go back to March 9th ND A had just lost their regular season game against pitt four straight losses to close out the regular season. You're thinking, what? Head into the AC C tournament? Well, I, I'm thinking like, I think probably a lot of people that maybe coach Keats might not be around and that, uh, expectations, um, for what was gonna happen, in my opinion, weren't that good. Um, and I'm probably like a lot of people, uh, I was probably a little too negative on him maybe, but, um, I'll be honest with you. I had no expectations. It was kind of the same old thing and that's kind of the malaise that I think has been state basketball except for, you know, some flashes here and there. Um, so I didn't have a whole lot of expectations to be honest with you. I was ready to move on to football. Fair, fair enough. You always call me after games and you want to get my analysis and then you provide yours. So I'm gonna give you the chance to kind of, I'm gonna put you on the spot here. Dad. What were you seeing during the regular season? That kind of made you believe that, you know, expectations shouldn't be too high going to the AC C tournament based off NC state style of play in the regular season. My, my and I've talked to you about this a lot. I'm old school, obviously. Basketball in 1983 and 84 was played a little bit differently. Um, in a lot of ways, in some ways it's similar, but more specifically to state, as I will say, just a lack of somewhat discipline type structure on the offensive end. There were some things as armchair quarterback that I would have changed if I was the coach, right? Um I didn't understand why, for instance, sometimes they pressed all the time and they never turned anybody over to me. You're basically just wearing your guys out. Now, if you're turning people over a lot, then that's good. Keep doing it. But more of the thing where it's people talk about, you know, a au ball, right? Like the gym ball, not structured plays, more of just the pick and roll and all. You got three guys standing out around the perimeter watching a guy take a shot, nobody's there for the rebound. I just felt like that, that was not a recipe for success. Um And just to, to jump ahead a little bit, look at, look at now how Diarra and even, um, yeah, all of them getting offensive rebounds bounds, 2nd, 2nd chance points. But that was some of the things that I felt like we had fallen into over a couple of years of the same type basketball was that Coach Keat's fault or was that the players not, you know, not, not doing what he told them to do? I don't know, but that was kind of what I was thinking. All right. So now let's kind of fast forward a little bit to where we started to see some changes in NC State's offense, the AC C tournament, they beat Louisville 94 to 85 when you come in a 12 point deficit in the first game. DJ Horne doesn't play granted, Louisville, obviously not the best team in the agency. They finished last in the league, but when did you kind of start to again? You said you were ready for football season, start after the pit loss. When did you sort of start saying? Ok, state plays at seven o'clock tonight. ESPN on the AC C tournament. When did you sort of start to think like, ok, like something special is starting to happen here? I gotta confess and be honest, I didn't even watch the first game. I didn't even watch it. Um, because I felt like, you know, again, they were gonna, they were, they were gonna win, but just based on their record. Um, the second game I, they played, uh, so much better, again, structured basketball, in my opinion right now, did I think that they were going, they were going to go on to win the championship to win the conference championship? I gotta be honest with you. I didn't think so. Um, I think when they played, what was it? U VA, ok. And beat them. I was starting to go. Ok. Maybe there's a little bit of magic here, but a thing that I liked is that they were getting contributions from everybody. I'll use one of Doran's phrases. OK. They were playing complimentary basketball, right? Diarra was getting rebounds. MC was playing good defense. DJ. Both DJ S are contributing as far as, uh offensively. So I kind of felt like, hey, they're starting to play a little bit better. Um, but, you know, I'll be honest again, you know, you know, where I was at watching the game with some of my buddies and our wives and, uh outside talk about the North Carolina game, the North Carolina game. Yeah. Um, didn't really think that they were gonna beat them. Um And I'll be honest, again, was very surprised at how well they played, but it was just a, a beautiful thing to see all of the kids I think, believe in each other and being unselfish, um playing a different style of basketball. So again, II, I wasn't, I wasn't a big believer that we're gonna go on to beat Carolina in the championship game. But it was, it was a nice surprise. Well, no, I mean, to be fair, you probably saved me some pain and misery a little bit by telling me, you know, because we've been to a couple of these games against Carolina, we were at the game where I think it was Kevin Keys's second season where North Carolina jumped out to like a 12 to 0 run. You kind of made me realize, you know, when it comes to Carolina State and basketball don't go in with too many high expectations because it always comes down to rebounding. It always comes down to three point shooting, stuff like that. But in that AC C championship game, NC State was able to go toe for toe. And as you mentioned, you were with some of your friends who are Carolina graduates and, uh, that is somebody who has seen the highs of NC State and experienced the lows of NC state. North Carolina being a big reason for probably some of those lows. What were, uh, what were some of the comments that you said to some of your friends following, following that game? Well, it's interesting, like you said, um, Carolina is pretty much owned us in basketball for a while. So, um, I'm just, let's just state the obvious. Um, I really and truly didn't take a whole lot of digs, but I had a couple of little comments here, you know, here and there after the game. Um, you know, the Carolina fans were being gracious and conciliatory and I didn't necessarily want that I wanted a little confrontation. So, you know, maybe I could throw some digs in there. But look at the end of the day, um beating Carolina, the run that we went on was, I mean, it was kind of special. It really was winning a conference championship. How long has it been? Was it 84 last or 83? Last time? 8787. I mean, again, I would have never thought that if you would have told me that state was gonna win the AC C championship this year. I just, yeah, I mean, I, you couldn't have given me any kind of odds for me to bet that thing. I wouldn't tim Farlow my father, proud NC State, 1984 graduate joined us on this special generational episode of Pat therapy. What have been your thoughts of the run so far from the AC C tournament throughout the NCAA tournament now, getting ready to play in the final four against Purdue this Saturday in Phoenix. Just what do you make of it? I, I again, it's just really, um, it has been really, really special and I say that from not just the standpoint of them winning, but watching how they're playing basketball, I got to steal somebody's thunder. I listen to your show all the time. And they had an interview the other day. I don't know who it was but state in the beginning of each game, first five minutes been playing lights out. First five minutes of the second half been playing lights out just the way they played Duke the other night, you know, Duke comes out, hits him in the mouth. They hung in there. They played terrible. And you and I talked at halftime. What did I tell you, son? We're down six points and we've played terrible. So just the way they have continued to play, um, they've hustled Dave have been very, very good on the defensive end of the floor. Um And I think that's a big, huge difference maker. Um not just being able to score, but I think that they've played great defense. So I, I just again, I just, um I am happy to see it for the kids and the way they're playing. What do you think this national championship if it gets to that? And hopefully it does for all the PAC fans listening here on pack therapy. Be sure to like share and subscribe wherever you listen to this. What it, what will it mean to the university as somebody who was there the last time they did it? Just, what do you think for fans, students, someone like you and alumni? What would another national championship mean to NC State University? Well, that's a good question. I will say this in two parts. So I heard Monty Tao's interview yesterday. Yeah, yesterday afternoon and I'm gonna steal some of his line. I've got a national championship. Right, so to speak. I was there in 83. I was a junior. Uh, that's something I'll always remember for you, younger generations. Um, some of the other kids and from the basketball standpoint, um, our university not having anything notable, so to speak to talk about except for a championship, the AC C championship. It would be unbelievable. I mean, what it does for the university recruiting wise notoriety, um, I mean, it's, it's, you can't measure it, you just can't, for me, I mean, it would be wonderful, but for me, uh, they have so far exceeded any of my expectations. I mean, I, I have props to them hats off to Keats, um, and the players, but for some of the younger people, it'd be unbelievable from one generation to another and for anybody else that might be listening to this with their sons in the car that also witnessed the 83 championship, any advice to the students of the younger generation right now, just how, how to take this all in and, you know, not to chew your nails off on Saturday as you're watching the game as they play v do good luck with that if you're like me. But, um, just to have fun, enjoy it, just like you're doing, go down to, you know, if you can, uh, go over to some of your friend's house, have a party from the standpoint of watching the game. Um, it's gonna be a tough game, Saturday, tough, tough game. Um, but I think, uh, as far as the results, I think state's got a chance if they can maybe get this big guy in foul trouble a little bit. Um, try to get some, make, make Perdu, uh, other, uh, players beat him, then they have a shot, but just enjoy it. I mean, it's gonna be a nail bitter either way. I'll be honest with you, I feel bad for the officials who have to officiate this game as far as trying to decide what's a foul versus what's not a foul between DJ burns and Zach Edie. That's gonna be interesting. Um, we don't want to disparage the officials or the officiating crew of any of the sports. Right. Obviously, we don't, my dad taught me that a long time ago. I just hope the officials and, and I'll say this, they've, in my, my opinion, um, during the regular season, I think in basketball, the officials blow the whistle too much in the tournaments so far, hadn't been the case. So I hope they let him play. Um, and, you know, I don't want somebody to get into foul trouble and, and, uh, be disqualified for some, you know, Ticky tack fouls, so to speak, but I don't know, we'll see, I, I do do they have a chance. I, I think they do. I really do. I think they have a chance. Just like I told you again, when we talked halftime in the championship or against Duke. You know, we'll see there. You have it somewhat of an expert analysis from Tim Frio 1984 NC State graduate. My father joined us here on this generational edition of Pat Therapy for watching us on youtube. Be sure to like, share and subscribe, share this podcast with a fellow NC State fan, especially an episode of special is this one where I got to do with my father and you can pass it on to somebody that might listen to it with their son as you get ready for NC State's game against Purdue this Saturday in Phoenix in the final four. We'll have more coverage throughout the week and we'll be getting, you certainly set up for the big game as the road to the final four runs through us. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Pat Therapy. We'll be back with more later on.