Three decades after the Wolfpack’s upset NCAA championship win, team members Monday debated with President Barack Obama whether the famous, game-winning dunk came after a shot or pass. “It is a testament not only to Geno, but to the captain of this team, and the NCAA Player of the Year – Breanna Stewart”. The game ended on what amounted to an alley-oop at the buzzer, after a 30-footer from Dereck Whittenburg fell short and Lorenzo Charles slammed it home just before time expired.
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Both Valvano and Charles have died – Valvano in 1993 and Charles in 2011.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images President Barack Obama accepts a jersey with his name from Thurl Bailey with Vice President Joe Biden (l.), Sen.
Inside, the team toured parts of the White House and met briefly in the East Room with Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
“I have a feeling this team will be back again”, Obama said. The 1976 IN basketball team, the last to go undefeated, was the first NCAA basketball championship team to get a White House visit. “And this team embraced her challenge”.
Bailey responded, “We can fix that”, and handed the president a N.C. State basketball jersey, emblazoned with No. 1 and “Obama”. “I’ll be honest… I will miss the visits”, said Obama, whose term ends in January.
“Now I’m not taking this as an insult, I’m assuming this it meant with love”, the president said.
“We’re tied together like family”, Bailey said.
Outside the White House, McQueen held a special edition Sports Illustrated book featuring a photo of him standing on top of the basket holding a “Pack Power” sign.
“It was like playing in a ball game”.
With the details for a trip after winning the 2000 national championship not being able to be worked out, Auriemma has made 10 trips to the White House with his national championship teams and six have come during Obama’s time in office beginning with a 2009 visit. Lowe is now an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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The team’s many visits to the White House have fostered familiarity and camaraderie between Huskies coach Geno Auriemma and the president, who joked he had established a small room with a cot in the White House for the frequent visitor, “but not the Lincoln bedroom”. “Because… you’re a college kid”.
