NC State will play against two teams that defeated them last year, and that’s all the motivation the players needed.

NC State plays Purdue at 3 p.m. Thursday on FS1 in San Diego, Calif. The winner plays the winner of BYU and Ole Miss, which plays at 5:30 p.m.

Purdue ended NC State’s dream-like nine-game winning streak in the Final Four semifinals. Purdue 7-foot-3 center Zach Edey had 20 points and 12 rebounds in the win, and became a first-round draft pick of the Memphis Grizzlies.

Purdue returns three starters and NC State returns one from the Final Four meeting. The Wolfpack players won’t miss Edey, who is averaging 11.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game as a rookie.