The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543694
TRACKING THE PACK MARCH/APRIL 2026 ■ 19 PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE FOOTBALL They say they're dawgs. What kind of dawg are we? I keep bringing that up. We've got to be Dobermans. We can't be Chihuahuas." — Women's basketball coach Wes Moore, discussing what he wants to see from his players following an 83-65 loss to ninth-ranked Duke on Feb. 19 that left the Wolfpack at 17-9 overall and 10-5 in the ACC He's a people person. He gets connected with some- body, and you feel like you've known him forever. He checks in on you, he keeps in contact with you. That's hard to do. That's a talent. From where he started to where he is now, it's a pretty cool story. He's been doing it a long time, and it's not by accident. It's who he is as a person." — Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Trea Turner on baseball coach Elliott Avent, for whom he played at NC State from 2012-14 After a solid 2024 sea- son, Bailey improved in just about every category this fall, from passing yards (2,413 to 3,105), passing touchdowns (17 to 25) and completion percentage (64.9 to 68.8), while throwing one fewer interception despite 95 more pass attempts. He put up similar rushing numbers to 2024 and had eight games with multiple touchdown passes and no interceptions, including each of the final three contests. If he takes out the multi-interception perfor- mances, he can be one of the nation's top QBs in 2026." — ESPN writers Eli Lederman, Max Olson and Adam Rittenberg on the return of junior quarterback CJ BAILEY in 2026 20 Pounds added by sophomore defen- sive end Adrian Farrow since the be- ginning of the 2025 football season. Farrow was listed at 6-foot-3, 265 pounds on the Pack's recently released spring roster, making him the biggest weight-gainer on the team, regardless of position. Among offensive players, redshirt freshman receiver Je'rel Bolder made the biggest strides in the weight room, adding 17 pounds since last summer. He's now listed at 6-0, 212. Eighth NC State's rank among all Division I men's basketball teams nationally in average home attendance as of late February. The Pack had drawn an average of 15,968 fans per game through its first 15 home contests, a figure that was buoyed by the 19,367 fans who attended the team's 82-58 victory over North Carolina on Feb. 17. 0 Sacks allowed by NC State alum JOE THUNEY on 1,308 snaps during his first season as a member of the Chi- cago Bears' offensive line. Thuney earned an 87.7 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, third-best in the NFL among qualifying linemen, and he was named win- ner of the league's inaugural Protector of the Year Award. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS