Valvano's 1984 team finished 7th in the ACC and lost in the first round of the NIT to future conference foe Florida State. The following season, with the addition of guard Vinny Del Negro, the Pack began a run of five consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Pack reached the Elite Eight in 1985 and 1986 and the Sweet Sixteen in 1989. In 1987, after a sixth-place finish in the regular season, NC State made another surprising run through the ACC Tournament. In the championship game, State defeated rival North Carolina, which had gone undefeated in conference play. It was the program's last ACC championship to date. State finished second in the conference the following year and was a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The team made an early exit, though, losing to #14 seed Murray State in the first round.