Joe Ovies – CBS Sports
Following N.C. State’s win over No. 1 Duke on Saturday Jan. 12 there was pandemonium at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. As soon as Lorenzo Brown threw the ball up in victory, the crowd stormed the court, including a Wolfpack fan in a wheelchair. The wheelchair rider, N.C. State student Will Privette, had a friend push him out with the sea of red in celebration.
Unfortunately Privette, along with his chair, were toppled over in the excitement and consequently nearly trampled. Luckily for Privette Wolfpack star C.J. Leslie saw the event take place and saved Privette before any harm was done. Leslie lifted Privette and they continued in celebration together.
When N.C. State beat Duke in 2010 Privette, now a senior, had stormed onto the court, but that time he waited until the first rush of triumph crazed fans crashed center-court. This time Privette appeared to be one of the first Students on the hardwood, and it nearly cost him.
In tribute to the courageous wheeled rider, N.C. State is selling a t-shirt spin-off of Alabama’s “Roll Tide” slogan. The red T-shirts say “Roll Pack” with a logo of a wheelchair rider being pushed. This is the best college basketball shirt I have ever seen. Not only does it directly relate to an event that took place on the Wolfpack’s home court, but it is a spin-off of a slogan from another NCAA team. It’s simple, yet genius.
N.C. State ended up defeated the top ranked Blue Devils by a final score of 84-76. Their next home game is on Jan. 20 against the Clemson Tigers. In a game against a highly inferior opponent, no one will have to worry about the reckless rider endangering himself in a swarming frenzy.
