N.C. State To Honor Former Players Recently Tossed From Home Arena

TOSSED OUT SATURDAY, HONORED TUESDAY NIGHT

Huh?

Nothing says thanks like getting thrown out of your alma mata's arena while your family, friends and fans nearby are thinking "WTF?"

Everybody got their knickers all in a kink a while back when Roy Williams had an Presbyterian fan removed from an area reserved at the Dean Dome for family and close friends of the Tar Heels…So, what are folks saying about two former Wolfpack stars getting tossed out of the RBC center on Saturday.

There blaming the ref, that’s what they are saying…

Former N.C. State stalwarts Chris Corchiani and Tom Gugliotta will be back at the RBC Center on Tuesday as honored guests of N.C. State and, hopefully, Karl Hess, the official who ousted them on Saturay, won't be in the building.

Yes, the school will honor the 1988-89 N.C. State men's basketball team, which won the ACC regular-season title, at Tuesday's home game against North Carolina in spite of the fact that two of the biggest stars were removed from the arena by referee Karl Hess during Saturday’s loss to Florida State.

Corchiani and Gugliotta both were members of coach Jim Valvano's penultimate team, which went 10-4 in the ACC and advanced to the Round of 16 in the NCAA tournament before losing to Georgetown.

With 6 minutes, 40 seconds left in the game, Hess ejected Corchiani and Gugliotta, who were sitting behind the scorers' table. Corchiani said he and Gugliotta were complaining about the officiating, and protesting some calls, but did not threaten or use profanity with Hess.

Hess declined to provide a reason why he ejected the former players. The ACC also has refused to offer an explanation, although it did acknowledge Hess did not follow NCAA protocol.

N.C. State athletic director Debbie Yow said the 1988-89 team, the last N.C. State men's basketball team to win an ACC title, will receive the "Wolfpack Unlimited" award for their "refusal to accept the status quo."

(To read more from a couple of ACC vets at the News & Observer click here and here.)