North Carolina State forward C.J. Leslie (5) drives around Duke Blue Devils guard Quinn Cook (2) as Wolfpack guard Lorenzo Brown (2) sets a pick during the first half of N.C. State's win on Saturday. (Photo: Rob Kinnan, USA TODAY Sports) Surprisingly, juggernauts Duke and North Carolina were not picked to win the Atlantic Coast Conference at the beginning of the season. North Carolina State, playing with expectations reminiscent of the Jim Valvano era, was picked to win the ACC behind second-year coach Mark Gottfried. PHOTO: N.C. State fans getting ready to storm court Not as surprisingly, Duke got off to a hot start and became the No. 1 team in the country, starting ACC play once again as a favorite to win the league and leaving the upstart Wolfpack forgotten as a contender. Gottfried's veteran N.C. State group reminded the country why the Wolfpack are a force to be reckoned with in both the ACC and the country on Saturday, upsetting top-ranked Duke 84-76 for its first loss of the season. No. 2 Michigan is now the last undefeated team in the country. C.J. Leslie paced the Wolfpack with 25 points and 6 rebounds. N.C. State started 3-0 in the ACC for the first time since 1989.
Source : http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2013/01/12/no-21-nc-state-upsets-no-1-duke-makes-acc-statement/1828879/