The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1137844
18 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK Pieces of NC State's non-conference basketball schedule are starting to come together. Among the known headliners, NC State will travel to Auburn — which advanced to the Final Four in 2019 — to complete a home-and-home series. The Pack defeated the Tigers 78-71 in Raleigh Dec. 19 in what was the team's signature win from last season. Auburn went on to finish 30-10 and lose to eventual national champion Virginia in a controversial finish of the national semifinals. However, the Tigers lost the top three scorers off that squad. NC State is also going to play upstart Memphis on Thanksgiving (Nov. 28) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The Tigers went 22-14 a year ago, including 11-7 in the American Athletic Conference under first-year head coach and former NBA all-star Penny Hardaway. Memphis boasts the nation's top recruiting class, a seven-player group that includes a pair of five-stars led by the nation's No. 1 prospect in center James Wise - man and five more four-stars. The Pack gets a rematch with Wisconsin in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. That game will be played in Raleigh Dec. 4. NCSU lost to the Badgers 79-75 in Madison in last year's challenge. Wisconsin must replace star big man Ethan Happ, but returns its next three leading scorers from a squad that went 23-11 overall and 14-6 in the Big Ten en route to an NCAA Tournament berth. Dates have not been announced, but NC State will reportedly play UNC Greensboro on the road at the Greensboro Coliseum, site of this year's ACC Tournament, and also host Appalachian State. UNCG went 29-7 last year and was one of the first four teams left out of the NCAA Tournament. It loses top scorer Francis Alonso, but returns guard Isaiah Miller, who was second on the squad at 15.3 points per game, and forward Kyrin Galloway, the team's third-leading scorer. Appalachian State hired Dustin Kerns as its new head coach in March following an 11-21 season. — Matt Carter NC State will travel to Auburn this season to complete a home-and- home series. The Wolfpack notched a 78-71 win in Raleigh this past year versus a Tigers team that went on to reach the Final Four. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Bruce Winkworth worked for Coman Publishing in various capacities for more than three decades and also served as an assistant sports information director at NC State. He passed away in May and will be greatly missed. PHOTO BY THE WOLFPACKER Non-Conference Games In Men's Hoops Announced The Wolfpacker Loses A Special Friend Bruce Winkworth worked for us in some capacity longer than anyone in our 39 years of existence. He wrote his first piece for The Wolfpacker in the early 1980s, and over the next almost 35 years contributed articles for numer- ous company publications, including the program for the Dur- ham Bulls. For several years in the 1990s, he worked full-time as an edi- tor for our magazines covering several Major League Baseball teams. The vast majority of his efforts, though, appeared in The Wolfpacker, where he focused primarily on NC State baseball, one of his passions in life. In 1996, Bruce left his editor position with us to become an assistant sports information director at NC State, regularly work- ing with baseball, wrestling, volleyball and cross country. He held that job until he retired in 2012 and then continued covering NC State baseball for The Wolfpacker for several years after that. On May 17, Bruce died after an 18-month battle with lung cancer. He was more than a writer for us. Bruce was a valued friend, and we will miss his visits to our office, and talking Wolfpack sports and politics with him. A plaque honoring Bruce has been added to the Wolf Tracks wall in Reynolds Coliseum. It reads: Bruce Winkworth — In recognition & appreciation for all he did for Coman Publishing & NC State Athletics, this plaque is dedicated to Bruce, who loved baseball, rock & roll and a well-worded sentence. Few did more to promote & support the Wolfpack, or had more fun doing it. May his dry wit and pleasant pessimism echo here always. Friends of Bruce Winkworth, NC State '93 (1952-2019)