The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/197085
■ Wolfpack Storylines 1. How will the third coaching change in the last five years affect the direction of the program? Considering a recent history of one NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007 (a loss in the first round), a losing ACC record the past four years and the inability to sign a top nationally ranked player, former NC State assistant Wes Moore's arrival as the Pack's head coach comes at perhaps the most challenging time in the program's 40 years. Moore's goal of returning the Pack to the prominence it enjoyed in the 1980s and 1990s faces not only the challenge of beating out perennial NCAA Tournament entrants UNC and Duke for the best local players, but the added obstacles of ACC newcomers Pitt, Syracuse and Notre Dame from the dismantled Big East. 2. Will a depleted front line be up to the goal of helping the Pack outrebound its opponents in 2013-14? Though graduation claimed only four-year starter Marissa Kastanek, the 5-9 guard was the team's Ba ketball Preview 2013-14 Quick Facts A Closer Look At The 2013-14 Women's Team third-leading rebounder in 2012-13 (3.8 boards per game). And the Pack also lost a key inside player in 6-1 junior Kiana Evans, who left the program over the summer, as well as lightly used 6-2 junior forward Therany Dunnigan, who transferred to the University of Akron.That means returning seniors Kody Burke, Markeisha Gatling and Krystal Barrett (first, second and fourth in rebounding last year) will have to equal or better their 7.2, 6.3 and 3.8 rebounding averages this season and expect much more help from returning senior Lakeesa Daniel (3.6 boards per game), wing Ashley Eli (2.7) and 6-1 freshman newcomer Jennifer Five Key Games St. Bonaventure, Nov. 8: NC State women's basketball tips off its 40th season while Wes Moore makes his debut as head coach.Though four-year starter Marissa Kastanek has departed, leaving a major hole in the Pack's long-range attack, Moore has nine returning letter winners, including four of five starters, back to improve on last year's disappointing 17-17 campaign. Returning senior forward Kody Burke was the Pack's top scorer (13.3 points per game) and rebounder (7.2 per game) last season, and 6-5 senior center Markeisha Gatling averaged a team-leading 13.8 points and 8.5 rebounds a game over the final six games last year. Northwestern, Dec. 5: The Pack's seventh appearance in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge will be its first true road game of the season following an appearance in the Gulf Coast Showcase in Florida Nov. 29-Dec. 1. The Wildcats are 1-1 against NC State, including a 76-59 win at Northwestern in the 2011 ACC/Big Ten Challenge in the teams' last meeting. The Pack is 2-4 all time in the annual inter-conference rivalry after last season's 68-51 loss to Michigan State in Raleigh, its only two wins coming against Illinois in 2007 and 2010. Syracuse, Jan. 5: The 2013‑14 ACC opener pits the Pack against an Orange team it has faced only twice before, in 1995 and 1996 — both wins (79-70 and 104-69) on neutral floors in holiday tournaments. Syra- Senior forward Natalie Achonwa has helped Notre cuse makes its ACC debut coming off a 24-8 Dame to a 101-14 record, two national runner-up season in 2012‑13, a fourth-place finish in finishes and three Final Four appearances the past the Big East and an NCAA Tournament ap- three years. photo by joe raymond pearance. UNC, Feb. 16: The Pack's ninth annual "Hoops for Hope" benefit game for cancer research and treatment, continuing the tradition started by Kay Yow in 2006, will be the first time the archrival Tar Heels serve as the opponent for this nationally televised (ESPN2) game. The Pack will be seeking to end a three-year string of losses in the contest that's taken on added meaning with the preseason announcement that Heels coach Sylvia Hatchell is taking a hiatus away from the program to undergo treatment for leukemia. Notre Dame, March 2: NC State will say goodbye to its six seniors on a Senior Night pitting the Pack against an Irish program that's coming into the ACC after being to three consecutive Final Fours and was the national runner-up in 2011 and '12. NC State's only previous meeting with Notre Dame was a 64-53 loss in Ruston, La., in November 1996 in the Preseason WNIT consolation final. 84 ■ the wolfpacker Mathurin (8.8 as a high school senior in Montreal last year). 3. Will senior guard Myisha Goodwin-Coleman be as effective as a shooting guard after playing her first three years as the Pack's primary point guard? Moore plans on beginning the season with either redshirt junior Len'Nique Brown or freshman newcomer Miah Spencer running the Pack offense from the point guard position, meaning that Goodwin-Coleman will be moving into the shooting guard slot that Kastanek played the past three years, and parts of her freshman year.The move should help the team's top threepoint scorer last year maintain and maybe even increase her threat from the three-point line while cutting down on her 72 turnovers from a year ago. And with Moore's renewed emphasis on feeding the post, both Goodwin Coleman and whoever plays point should increase their assist numbers — both Goodwin-Coleman (3.0 assists per game) and Brown (3.8) were in the top 20 of the ACC in that category a year ago. By The Numbers 7 The number of current ACC teams that appeared in last year's NCAA Tournament, including newcomers Notre Dame and Syracuse, the most of any conference in the country. Wes Moore's ranking among active Division I coaches with the best winning percentage, at .767 (558-169). The number of NCAA Tournament appearances teams under Moore have made in his 24 seasons as a head coach. The number of wins NC State needs to reach the 800-victory mark in program history. The number of blocks senior forward Kody Burke needs to break Genia Beasley's school career mark of 203. Burke has rejected 55 shots a season through her first three years and needs to average just 1.3 blocks in NC State's 30 regular-season games during 2013-14 to become the all-time Wolfpack leader. 8 16 24 40 ■ NC State's Returning Leaders Points: Sr. F Kody Burke (452, 13.3 per game) Rebounds: Burke (244, 7.2 per game) Assists: R-Jr. G Len'Nique Brown (129, 3.8 per game) Blocks: Burke (54, 1.6 per game) Steals: Sr. G Myisha Goodwin-Coleman (50, 1.6 per game) Three-pointers made: Goodwin-Coleman (67, 2.1 per game) FG percentage: Sr. C Markeisha Gatling (.577; 138 of 239) FT percentage: Sr. G Breezy Williams (.744; 29 of 39) Minutes: Burke (1,008, 29.6 per game)