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Tonight, NC State’s historic on-campus coliseum will be officially named Kay Yow Court at James T. Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum.

The Pack’s late men’s basketball coach, most famous for winning the 1983 national title and then his public battle with cancer that sparked the establishment of the The Jimmy V Foundation, will have his name added during a ceremony before NC State’s game against Western Carolina, which will be played at Reynolds.

Here are five memorable moments from Valvano’s decade on the bench.

Feb. 25, 1981 — NC State 66, No. 12 Wake Forest 65

Valvano’s first season at NC State was not a banner success. The Pack finished just 14-13 (including 4-10 in the ACC) after bowing out in the first round of the ACC Tournament with a close loss to No. 12 North Carolina.

An earlier home loss to UNC, plus narrow setbacks to No. 1 Virginia and No. 17 Maryland, both in Reynolds, helped define a season of defeats in the final moments of games.

In its final home game of the year, Valvano and the Pack finally caught a break. Wake’s Alvis Rogers missed a shot at the buzzer, an attempt that Valvano was convinced was going in when he let it go.

The new coach won some admirers on this night, especially after showing up in a red blazer.

“I pulled out all the stops tonight — I’ve got red shoes, red socks, red pants, red tie, red coat,” Valvano said after the win.

March 5, 1983 — NC State 130, Wake Forest 89

This would be the beginning of a 10-game winning streak to end the season, culminating with a national championship. The game prior against Maryland, the Pack lost 67-58 at home after the Terps ended the contest on a 13-1 run over the final five minutes. That defeat had dropped NCSU to 16-10 overall and 7-6 in the ACC.

The team rallied though, and it began with this drubbing of Wake Forest. Six different Wolfpack players scored in double-digits, with three getting at least 23 — Dereck Whittenburg (25), Terry Gannon (25 and seven made threes) and Thurl Bailey (23). The 130 points remains the most scored in an ACC game for NC State.

“We really weren’t trying to put more points on the board,” Valvano insisted afterward. “We just kept playing — the clock forces that — and we were on a roll.”

Feb. 23, 1986 — NC State 76, No. 1 UNC 65

Valvano was emotional for NC State’s final home game of the 1985-86 season. For one, his director of athletics, Willis Casey, was stepping down in the summer, and it was Casey’s final home game as the Pack AD. When the contest was over, Valvano made sure to get the ball so that his players could sign it and present it to Casey later.

The win was sparked by Chris Washburn’s 26 points, 18 points from Bennie Bolton and Ernie Myers’ double-double of 11 points and 10 assists.

Valvano had another reason for why this contest was personally important:

“Not to get overly sentimental, but it also was the first UNC game, as I told my players, that my dad was not going to be here since I’ve been at NC State,” he explained. His father, Rocco, passed away in 1988.

The win improved the Pack to 18-9 at the time, including 7-6 in the ACC. Despite losing its final two games of the regular season and dropping its opener in the ACC Tournament, NC State rebounded to make the Elite Eight before losing to Kansas.

Feb. 21, 1990 — NC State 76, No. 3 Duke 71

Valvano’s final season at NC State was difficult for many reasons on and off the court, including a string of difficult, close defeats. NC State lost six of its final nine games of the year, including falling to eventual national champion UNLV, but none of them were by more than six points. Four of the losses were by three points or less.

This would be Valvano’s final win at Reynolds Coliseum, and Rodney Monroe’s 22 points would lead a win over a Blue Devils squad that would eventually lose to UNLV in the national title contest.

“The fact is that the kids have legitimately had one heck of a season, and I’m really proud of what they’ve been able to accomplish,” Valvano said after the win. “It’s a remarkable group of people.”

NC State would conclude the season with an 18-12 record, including 6-8 in the ACC.

Feb. 21, 1993 — Valvano’s farewell

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