The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1510285
TRACKING THE PACK 12 ■ THE WOLFPACKER Women's Basketball Team Receives Two Commitments NC State picked up its first two wom- en's basketball commitments of the 2024 cycle when it received verbal pledges in early October from four-star wing Devyn Quigley of Manchester Township (N.J.) High and forward Lorena Awou of East Moline (Ill.) United High. Standing 5-foot-11, Quigley is the No. 47 overall recruit in the 2024 class accord- ing to ESPN HoopGurlz. She totaled 977 points as a junior, averaging 34.9 points per game according to NJ.com. She also pulled down 11.3 rebounds and swiped 3.75 steals per game last season. In an interview with the Asbury Park Press in January, the future Wolfpack commit discussed her impressive statis- tics. "It's not something I think about going into every game," she said. "My parents were worried once I started getting all these big numbers. They said, don't let it get to your head, just worry about getting into the flow of things and getting your teammates involved as much as possible. "It kind of just comes to me." Quigley picked the Wolfpack on Oct. 10 after taking visits to Rutgers, Texas A&M and Wisconsin earlier this year. Her trip to Raleigh in mid-September was her final official visit. Awou announced her decision on Oct. 11, choosing the Pack over an impressive offer list that included Michigan, Ken- tucky and Miami. The 6-4 forward av- eraged 12 points and 12.2 rebounds per game as a junior at East Moline United, per QCTimes.com. The Pack also continues to recruit five-star point guard Zamareya Jones of Bethel (N.C.) North Pitt High. Ranked 17th overall by HoopGurlz, the 5-7 point guard took an official visit to NC State the final weekend of September. Jones finished the 2022-23 season aver- aging 28.9 points, 5.4 steals, 4.6 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. — Ethan McDowell New Statue To Honor David Thompson The NC State men's basketball team will have a new statue outside Reyn- olds Coliseum honoring Wolfpack great David Thompson. The team will unveil Thompson's statue at 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 6 ahead of the Wolfpack's only game in- side the storied building, a nonconference matchup against Maryland Eastern Shore. "This is such a deserved honor for the greatest basketball player to ever wear an NC State jersey," athletics director Boo Corrigan said in a statement. "He is one of the most iconic players to ever play in the ACC, and our hope is that this statue will ensure that generations of NC State students and fans will always remember the legacy and contributions of David Thompson." Thompson played an integral role in helping the Pack go 57-1 during the 1972- 73 and 1973-74 seasons, a stretch that culminated in an NCAA Tournament championship in '74. Thompson's 29.9-point average dur- ing his senior campaign still stands as the program's single-season record. His No. 44 jersey is the only retired number in NC State men's basketball history. During his three-year career with the Wolfpack, Thompson was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1974, as well as the Associated Press National Player of the Year in 1974 and 1975 — one of only five players to win it multiple times. He also was a three- time All-American and was named the ACC Player of the Year in three consecu- tive seasons. Thompson finished his NC State career with 2,309 points in 86 games. He was the ACC's scoring leader in all three sea- sons he spent with the Wolfpack, and he graduated as the league's top scorer. — Noah Fleischman Micah Crowell Brings End To Football Career NC State redshirt sophomore running back Micah Crowell announced on Oct. 20 that he is retiring from football. A for- mer four-star recruit from East Forsyth (N.C.) High, Crowell thanked his NC State coaches and teammates and said in the Instagram post announcing his deci- sion that he plans to "devote the remain- der of my life to ministry and to further the advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." "Football don't need me, the dream of playing in the NFL don't need me," Crow- ell wrote. "The kingdom agenda must go forward, and I fully dedicate my life to serving God with my all." As a recruit, Crowell held offers from Power Five programs throughout the country, including Alabama and Ohio State. A native of Winston-Salem, N.C., he committed to NC State as a cornerback but dealt with injuries during his time in Raleigh. Crowell redshirted in 2021 while recovering from a high school injury, then moved to running back during the 2022 season but sat out with an injury and did not see action. He did not play in any of NC State's first seven games this season, either. Crowell is the third player to leave the team this season, but the first to retire from football. Senior running back Jordan Houston and redshirt junior nickel Darius Edmundson both elected to redshirt the rest of the season and will enter the trans- fer portal when it opens. — Noah Fleischman ■ RED AND WHITE NOTEBOOK Four-star wing Devyn Quigley visited NC State in September and later chose the Wolfpack over Rutgers, Texas A&M and Wisconsin. PHOTO COURTESY DEVYN QUIGLEY