The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1456098
38 ■ THE WOLFPACKER and has no commitments yet for the class of 2023. The first time he ever dipped into the portal was for Perez, a move that worked out pretty well. She came in for what she thought would be her only sea- son after playing a total of four years at Northern Arizona and Cal State Fullerton. Then after last year, she received another year of eligibility under the NCAA's COVID accommodations. So Moore knew he would have a veteran-loaded team, a luxury that the coach knows could also create chemis- try nightmares if not handled properly. "You have to have good chemistry," Moore said. "You do that by starting out with really good ingredients in the mix. We try to recruit players with great character, especially those who are will- ing to make necessary sacrifices. "So we have a lot of special people in our program." He knows, though, he will need more of them if he wants to continue his recent success, which includes seven con- secutive 20-win seasons, five straight NCAA appearances (the 2020 tournament was not held) and trips to the last three Sweet 16s. "We're going to need some help from the transfer portal to be quite honest," Moore said when pressed about life after his current roster. "We're losing four starters and we've got some good young kids that'll be ready to take on big- ger roles next year, and they've got a year under their belt, but at the same time we didn't sign any freshmen. "We have some holes to fill. The portal was really good to us last year when we got Diamond Johnson [from Rutgers] and Madison Hayes [from Mississippi State]. We have to hope we can duplicate that again with three or four more players. We have a lot of unknowns after this year." What is known, however, is that Moore has put together a successful program that has marched onward and improved throughout his tenure with the Wolfpack. More building and more achieve- ments await. ■ NC State As The Top Seed In The ACC Tournament Year Overall Record ACC Record Tournament Result 1978 29-5 9-0 No. 2 Maryland 89, No. 1 NC State 82 1980 28-8 9-0 No. 1 NC State 85, No. 2 Maryland 75 1983 22-8 12-1 No. 3 Maryland 84, No. 1 NC State 81 1985 25-6 13-1 No. 1 NC State 81, No. 2 UNC-CH 80 1990 25-6 12-2 No. 2 Virginia 67, No. 1 NC State 64 (OT) 2022 26-3 17-1 TBD Head coach Wes Moore has guided NC State to seven consecutive 20-win seasons, five straight NCAA Tournament appearances and trips to the last three Sweet 16s. This year, the Pack is aiming for the program's first Final Four berth since 1998. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker and can be reached at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu.