PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas _ It took Kevin Keatts only five games at N.C. State to get a signature performance out of his new team.
It just wasn't a win. It was the biggest upset of the college basketball season so far.
Displaying the kind of effort, tenacity and defensive intensity Keatts promised to bring to the Wolfpack, 5-0 N.C. State knocked off No. 2 Arizona, 90-84, on Wednesday night in its opening game at the Battle 4 Atlantis behind 24 points from Al Freeman and 20 from freshman Braxton Beverly.
This was not according to script: Arizona (3-1), featuring Bahamas native DeAndre Ayrton, a stellar freshman center and the potential No. 1 pick in next spring's NBA draft, was both the statistical and sentimental favorite here.
But with Abdul-Malik Abu (eight points, eight rebounds) making his season debut after missing the first four games with a knee injury and Beverly looking like an impact player, the Wolfpack led by as many as nine early and again in the second half before Arizona came back to take a 75-73 lead late. From there, N.C. State went on a 13-1 run to take control.
N.C. State will face the winner of Northern Iowa and Southern Methodist in Wednesday's late game, but whatever happens over the next two days _ whatever happens over the next few months _ this win will be hard to top.
