It’s the most wonderful time of the year for many of us in NC: March Madness

It’s that time of year.

The best of times. But the worst of times.

When trees bud. But pollen elbows us in the forehead.

When daylight saving time means the sun hangs out in the evening — but we’re too sleepy to enjoy it because half of our household clocks can’t agree on the time.

Most of all, it’s tournament time.

The thrill of (hopeful) victory. But the agony, too.

Is there anything more Uniquely North Carolina than hibernating indoors to watch basketball while the rest of the Northern Hemisphere wears shorts and soaks up the lingering rays?

The second Duke-UNC game is our internal harbinger that the seasons are changin’ and history is happenin’ as Tobacco Road takes another turn.

An N&O legend remembers NC State legends

The trophy cases at NC State, UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke have a combined 14 NCAA basketball titles. To win an NCAA basketball title, to reach the Final Four, that’s generational in our Carolina. That’s legend.

The News & Observer’s legend-in-residence Chip Alexander has put together a splendid homage to the NC State team that won the NCAA men’s title 50 years ago. Mention David Thompson, Monte Towe or Tom Burleson, and even the supporters of the Triangle’s blue bloods begrudgingly nod.

Writes Chip: All these years later, while the videos of their exploits look a bit dated and the saved newspapers with banner headlines have aged and yellowed, the ‘74 Wolfpack is remembered as the team that had Thompson at his best, that went 30-1 and still is considered one of the greatest in college basketball history.

NC State’s win 50 years ago proved to be an orbit changer for the center of the college basketball universe. Eligibility rules, tournament size, even the public’s awareness — what happened after the 1973-74 season can be traced back to the Pack’s tourney run.

Writes N&O sports columnist Luke DeCock (another great read for this change-of-seasons weekend): That team was very much a creation of its time and place and era, a collection of moving parts that locked into sync for a moment, and then dispersed. In some ways, it’s that transitory nature, how that team’s moment was as fleeting as it was glorious, that so deeply cements it in our memories — and our imaginations.

Here’s a bonus. Visuals Editor Scott Sharpe has put together a vintage gallery of the Pack’s 1974 team, which again proves that black-and-white images are experientially resplendent.

Photos: A look back at NC State’s 1974 National Championship basketball team

If you want to complete the college basketball writing trifecta this weekend, read Andrew Carter’s profile of UNC star Armando Bacot and why he seems to transcend the sport. Regardless of your team preferences, appreciate Bacot for his thoughtfulness and humility — rare qualities for even everyday humans. This is Bacot on his UNC legacy: “I may not have been the best player that ever played here. I may not have scored the most points. I did grab the most rebounds. I may not have blocked the most shots. But I think, in terms of players, nobody has loved this school more than I have. And that’s something I can be proud of.”

Indeed.

Uniquely NC

Our 50-year anniversary package on the Pack’s sport-changing championship fits the criteria for Uniquely NC, which we identify as “an N&O subscriber collection of moments, landmarks and personalities that define the uniqueness (and pride) of why we live in the Triangle and North Carolina.” (If you’re a print subscriber, please go to www.newsobserver.com/topics/uniquely-nc or — even better — activate the digital goodness that comes with your subscription.)

We’re committed to looking after your public interests and creating stories that define our wonderful community. North Carolina barbecue, Josh Shaffer’s columns, iconic college basketball moments — and more to come — reflect what makes Uniquely NC one of our favorite news initiatives.

So, grab a tissue for the pollen, and don’t stifle that internal-body-clock yawn.

It’s tournament time, folks.

It’s uniquely us.

Bill Church is executive editor of The News & Observer.

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