The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472609
doubles victories were against ranked op- ponents. She was a five-time ACC Freshman of the Week selection and became NC State's first women's tennis ACC Fresh- man of the Year. Male Game Of The Year Who will ever forget what happened on Nov. 26, 2021? NC State took the field that Friday eve- ning in Carter-Finley Stadium against archrival North Carolina looking to se- cure a nine-win season for the third time in five years. The Wolfpack started hot, blocking a UNC punt and recovering in the end zone 1:23 into the game for a quick 7-0 lead. Most of the bounces after that, however, went the Heels' way. A second blocked punt inside the UNC 20 bounced improbably to a Heels player who was able to run for a first down. A wobbly pass from North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell, who was hit as he threw, drifted to a Heels tight end inside the NC State 20. A costly third-quarter turnover by NC State set up great field position for Chapel Hill. And when North Carolina kicker Grayson Atkins made a Male Breakout Performer Of The Year During his rookie hoops season in 2020-21, NC State's Dereon Seabron averaged 5.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. The question going into this past year was whether he had shown enough improvement to warrant a spot in the starting five. By year's end, Seabron was clearly NC State's best all-round player. The redshirt sophomore guard was named second-team All-ACC and the ACC's Most Improved Player, chosen by a 78-member panel consist - ing of the league's 15 head coaches and 63 members of the media. He is the first Wolf- pack player to be awarded that honor. Seabron was the only player at a Power Five school to lead his team in scoring (17.3 points), rebounds (8.2), assists (102) and steals (44), while being one of just two Wolfpack players to start all 32 games of the season, joining senior forward Jericole Hellems. After the year was over, Seabron announced that he was turning pro. JULY/AUGUST 2022 ■ 51 As a redshirt sophomore, guard Dereon Seabron was the only player at a Power Five school to lead his team in scoring (17.3 points per game), rebounds (8.2), assists (102) and steals (44). PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS