The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1547338
40 ■ THE WOLFPACKER pleased with last season's outcome. The Wolfpack, a squad that will open the season ranked No. 25 nationally, be- lieves it has what it takes to make the deep run that the program has done so often. There will be one minor change this year. Instead of using a team with im- mense length all around the floor, an- chored by a 6-foot-6 center, NC State is set to embark on the new campaign with an undersized group. The squad's tallest player stands 6-foot-3 with five oth- ers standing 6-foot-2, which has forced Moore into a new style of play. Those who walk into Reynolds Coli- seum to watch his team play this year will see a unit that wants to run up and down the floor, using a tenacious de- fense to spark its scoring in transition to fight through the size mismatches it will have in the post in a very competi- tive ACC. "We don't have the length we've had in the past," Moore said. "We're going to have to play fast and hard, get in the pass- ing lanes, apply ball pressure, and turn the heat up if we want to have a chance." Although that will come with its growing pains, Moore likes the depth of his roster to be able to play at an up- tempo pace for 40 minutes each night. This will take all 12 players on the ros- ter coming together as one to make the unit work at an elite level. "We're going to have to play really well as a team. It's going to take every- body helping on the boards, not just re- lying on one or two people to rebound for us," Moore said. "It's going to be a team effort, and the same way defend- ing. … We're going to have to make teams uncomfortable and get the ball out of their hands." Backcourt It's become rare to have a four-year player, but that's exactly what NC State has in star point guard Zoe Brooks. She didn't even ponder entering the transfer portal this offseason. Instead, she re- mained steadfast in her loyalty to Moore and the Wolfpack — helping keep the floor for the season extremely high. Brooks, a two-time first-team All- ACC selection, is coming off a junior season in which she averaged 16.0 2026-27 NC State Women's Basketball Schedule Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET) Nov. 2 Wofford (ACCNX) 5 p.m. Nov. 4 Campbell (ACCN) 6 p.m. Nov. 8 vs. Kentucky^ (ESPN2) 3 p.m. Nov. 11 Liberty (ACCNX) 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at Seton Hall (ESPN+) 1 p.m. Nov. 19 Georgetown (ACCNX) 7 p.m. Nov. 22 Coastal Carolina (ACCN) 3 p.m. Nov. 27 vs. Kansas State% (ION) 7 p.m. Nov. 28 vs. LSU% (ION) 4:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at Ole Miss# (ESPNU) 7:15 p.m. Dec. 6 Davidson (ACCN) 6 p.m. Dec. 9 Jacksonville (ACCNX) 7 p.m. Dec. 13 at North Carolina* (ESPN) 6 p.m. Dec. 17 at Florida State* (ACCNX) 6 p.m. Dec. 20 Navy (ACCN) 12 p.m. Dec. 31 Miami* (ACCNX) 2 p.m. Jan. 3 Duke* (ESPN) 3 p.m. Jan. 7 at Cal* (ACCNX) 9 p.m. Jan. 10 at Stanford* (ACCN) 2 p.m. Jan. 14 Virginia Tech* (ACCNX) 7 p.m. Jan. 18 at Georgia Tech* (ESPN2) 4 p.m. Jan. 24 Wake Forest* (ACCN) 12 p.m. Jan. 28 at SMU* (ACCNX) 7:30 p.m. Feb. 1 Virginia*+ (ESPN2) 6 p.m. Feb. 4 Pitt* (ACCNX) 7 p.m. Feb. 7 at Syracuse* (ACCN) 12 p.m. Feb. 11 Boston College* (ACCNX) 7 p.m. Feb. 18 Notre Dame* (ESPN2) 8 p.m. Feb. 21 at Louisville* (ESPN) 2 p.m. Feb. 25 at Wake Forest* (ACCNX) 6 p.m. Feb. 28 Clemson* (The CW) 12 p.m. ^ Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.; % Fort Myers Tip-Off at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla.; #ACC/SEC Challenge; * ACC game; + Play4Kay game Senior point guard Zoe Brooks returns to lead the Wolfpack after averaging 16.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists and earning her second consecutive first-team All-ACC selection. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS