'Worth it': Raleigh native DJ Horne relishes NC State basketball's berth into Sweet 16

PITTSBURGH — The Sweet 16 already?

DJ Horne can't quite believe the NC State basketball team is at that point. It all happened so fast.

Then again, there's plenty the graduate senior can't quite process yet. He also doesn't want to, preferring to wait until after the season to sit back and reflect on everything he and his Wolfpack teammates have achieved thus far, which now includes a trip to Dallas for the NCAA Tournament's South Regional semifinals.

Horne began Saturday's second-round game against Oakland in a blaze, scoring NC State's first seven points before the first media timeout. They would be the only points he'd have until the game was well into overtime, which is where he reinserted himself into the conversation.

Oakland's zone defense played a role in taking Horne out of the action, but it also opened the door for his biggest bucket of the postseason. Up one with about 90 seconds to play, Horne took a feed in the left corner and delivered a pump fake, sending the Oakland defender into the air. A quick sidestep later, Horne rose for the mid-range jumper, which tickled the twine and provided the necessary cushion in NC State's 79-73 victory.

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"Something I work on in practice every day," Horne said, later adding, "I just knew if the opportunity was gonna present itself, I had to cash in."

Horne (11 points, six rebounds) doesn't quite recall what he would've been doing in 2015, the last time NC State made an appearance in the Sweet 16. Growing up in Raleigh, Horne was a Wolfpack fan, rooting for the team as he worked his way up the AAU circuit looking to nab a college career of his own.

A Rivals.com three-star prospect out of Trinity Christian School in Fayetteville, Horne's collegiate career would have to begin somewhere other than home. Starting off at Illinois State, Horne worked his way to Arizona State before returning to Raleigh to join the Wolfpack last offseason.

Doing so meant coming home, for sure, but it also meant joining a program trying to work its way back to the top. NC State had a turnaround year in Kevin Keatts' sixth year as head coach, though the first-round March Madness exit still left plenty to be desired.

"From day one when I came in," Horne said, "this was a team, a university, athletic program that wanted to see a lot of success in the basketball program. Coming in, I knew there was going to be a lot of pressure as far as winning. ... Just knew it was gonna be a lot of pressure, so I knew that I was going to have to come in and work on my game."

Horne met his personal goals, averaging a career-best 16.9 points per game entering Saturday's game. Individual success, though, didn't always translate to the team aspect, where the Wolfpack had just a 17-14 record after the regular season closed.

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NC State (24-14) had to get through the ACC Tournament unscathed to have a chance to be in the NCAA Tournament. A week after securing the conference's auto-bid, the Wolfpack will have to pack some more bags after two more wins in PPG Paints Arena.

"As the season has gone on and we've got to this point," Horne said, "basketball season has a lot of ups and downs. I would say everything was worth it."

Being able to have this season, individually and as a team, in his hometown has made the moment all the more sweeter.

"It's just crazy just how full-circle this all is," Horne said. "Me as a little kid watching NC State in the tournament, and now I'm in those shoes leading this team to make history."