The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1190316
20 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK Tony Gibson is NC State's new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, it is the same role he held at West Virginia from 2014-18. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN ■ RED AND WHITE NOTEBOOK Men's Basketball Depth Takes Hit The Wolfpack will likely have just nine scholarship players available for the 2019-20 campaign. Head coach Kevin Keatts announced after NC State's season opener against Georgia Tech that freshman wing Dereon Seabron didn't qualify academically and lost his appeal with the NCAA. NC State could also be without redshirt sophomore forward Atticus "A.J." Taylor this season after he injured his knee in practice leading up to the season opener. In addition, junior point guard Blake Harris departed the program Oct. 24. Seabron had attended Norfolk (Va.) Lake Taylor for four years and then elected to have a post-graduate season at Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Va. Rivals. com ranked him No. 124 overall in the country in the class of 2019, and he was expected to add depth along the perimeter this season. The 6-7, 180-pound Seabron won the slam dunk contest at Primetime With The Pack, but then suffered a high- ankle sprain, which was likely to keep him out for a good chunk of November. The 6-7, 205-pound Taylor was expected to add some depth at power forward behind sophomore Jericole Hel- lems and senior Pat Andree this season. Keatts hasn't com- pletely ruled Taylor out for the season, but has painted a bleak picture and mentioned he could take a medical redshirt. Harris left the Wolfpack program for "personal reasons" the school announced. He had bounced around froispro- gram to program in high school and college for the last seven years. He averaged 3.1 points and 1.5 assists in 9.5 minutes per game for the Wolfpack last season. Women's Basketball Signs Three Players The NC State women's basketball program officially inked point guard Genesis Bryant, and wings Dontavia Waggoner and Rebecca Demeke during the early signing period Nov. 13-20. The 5-6 Bryant is ranked as the No. 11 point guard and No. 46 overall prospect in the class of 2020 by Prospects Nation. The Jonesboro (Ga.) Lovejoy High standout helped her school win the 2018 Georgia 6A state title, and she was named to the 2019 Naismith Atlanta Tip-Off first-team squad. Bryant averaged 17.6 points per game last year. The 6-0 Waggoner attends The Ensworth School in Nashville, Tenn. Prospects Nation ranked her as the No. 8 guard and No. 35 overall player in the country's class of 2020. She was named the 2019 Miss Tennessee Basketball and was selected as her state tournament's MVP. She averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and four steals per game last year. NC State added Toronto, Canada, native Demeke Nov. 19. She attends Crestwood Preparatory College and competed with Team Canada at the FIBA under-17 Women's Basketball World Cup in Minsk, Belarus. Football Makes Change At Defensive Coordinator NC State football head coach Dave Doeren announced Dec. 2 that de- fensive coordinator/linebackers coach Dave Huxtable had been relieved of his duties, and two days later co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Tony Gibson was promoted to the spot. The Wolfpack will now begin a search for a new safeties coach follow- ing Gibson's move to defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. "I look forward to building our defense with Tony Gibson as the leader," Doeren said in a prepared statement. "He has a strong vision for what we need to do on defense and his knowledge of our personnel and recruits will help us design the structure of our defense around our talent." NC State finished the regular season 74th in the country (out of 130 teams) in yards allowed per game with 398.9. The Pack was also 83rd in scoring defense (30.1 points a contest) and 101st in passing defense (255.5 yards per game). NC State first-year director of athletics Boo Corrigan added his support for Doeren in the school-released statement. "The conclusion of a season is a time to reflect, look in the mirror and evaluate the overall direction of a program," Corrigan said. "Dave Doeren is our football coach. He has earned it by winning nine games in back-to- back seasons and I look forward to doing all I can to help Coach Doeren moving forward. "The 2019 season didn't unfold the way any of us wanted, but we will continue to invest in this program and to provide the resources to help NC State football compete at the highest level." Freshman wing Dereon Seabron is redshirting this season. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN