The Wolfpacker

60 ■ THE WOLFPACKER points and 2.4 rebounds per game) the main returning contributor. "It will be important next year for her to get a little closer to the potential we see in her," Moore said. "I'm probably more frus‑ trated with my inability to get that potential from her this year than anything else. "But Jen's more of a four player, so the players we expect to count on at the five aren't even on the roster yet. We know it's going to be a challenge, especially when you're trying to replace two kids [Gatling and Burke] who've been drafted by the WNBA. "This group did all you could ask of them. They got the program headed back in the right direction, got it back to a top‑25 rank‑ ing [finishing the season ranked No. 21, the program's highest since 2007], competing at the highest level, beating ranked teams — that's what Kay Yow established here. I told this group from day one, they could either be the end of an era, or the start of one. Now we have to build on what they started." And what is the lasting legacy left by NC State's 2014 seniors? "We learned we had to have a good work ethic and not to give up," Burke said. "You can't wait 'til next year to accom‑ plish something you want to do — because you never know what could happen," Good‑ win‑Coleman added. This year, NC State's seniors didn't wait to satisfy their hunger — and in the process, earned the NCAA berth they'd waited three frustrating years to reach. ■ Pack's 2014 Recruits Have Big Shoes To Fill After guiding NC State's women's basketball team to a 25‑8 mark in his first season in Raleigh, head coach Wes Moore faces the challenge of preparing for an encore. The task becomes even more challenging considering the loss of six seniors from this year's team, representing 1,512 of a total of 2,479 points scored (60.9 percent) and 638 of 1,248 total rebounds (51.1 percent). "Obviously, we have a lot of work ahead," Moore said. "Right now, I'm not even sure what this team will look like or what kind of offense we'll play — we may have to make some major changes based on personnel." Last November's early signing period provided the Wolfpack with the first four pieces to next year's puzzle. Chloe Jackson, a 5‑9 guard, was named a WBCA honorable mention All‑Amer ‑ ican in February and was ranked as the No. 18 guard in the country by ESPN. In March, she led her Upper Marlboro (Md.) Riverdale Baptist High School team to the 2014 National Association of Christian Athletes (NACA) championship with the game‑winning shot against Thomasville (N.C.) New Hope Christian Academy. "She's a great athlete who can shoot the three and can get to the rim," Moore said, "She comes from a very successful program, so she's used to winning. Right now, she could be in the mix to play on the wing and could be very important to us if we go to a four‑guard look." Jackson's NACA title game win against New Hope Christian Academy pitted her against a future Pack teammate, 6‑5 center Akela Maize. Rated as the No. 16 post in the country by ESPN, Maize played her first three years of prep ball at Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley High School before switching to New Hope Christian this past year, where she averaged 3.8 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. "Potential is the first word with her," Moore said. "She can run the floor, and she reportedly can dunk — she's done it in warm‑ups — but she has to get stronger and more physical. In a perfect world we would like to redshirt her, but I'm not sure we'll have that luxury next year." Carlee Schuhmacher, a 6‑1 forward, will be a junior this coming season after two years at Des Moines (Iowa) Area Community College. The Watertown, Wis., native was named a first‑team All‑American by the National Junior College Athletic As ‑ sociation each of the last two years. She led NJCAA Division II in blocked shots (143, including a school‑record 12 in one game), ranked second in scoring (23.7 points per game) and was seventh in rebounding (13.8 per game). "She's a self‑made player who can play with her back to the basket, but who can also step out and shoot the three," Moore said. "She's had two years of juco ball, so we hope that will help her make the transition to this level quicker." The final signee from last fall is 6‑1 Antioch, Tenn., forward Chelsea Nelson, whom Moore has been following for some time. "Her dad [Keith Nelson] played at Chattanooga, so we've been watching her for awhile," he said. "We didn't think we had much chance to get her [at Chat‑ tanooga]. But after she sat out her junior year, she slipped off the radar a little. "Her perimeter skills are getting better each day. She can get a rebound and go coast to coast, or she can spot up and shoot the three. She's got a big upside." With Maize the only signed post to pair with returning sophomore Jen Mathurin (who, at 6‑2, is more suited to the forward position), Moore was hopeful a scout‑ ing trip to Europe after the end of the Pack's season could add to the team's roster in the next few months. The first such possible addition came when NC State landed a verbal commit‑ ment from 6‑6 senior center Sara Boric of Banja Luka, Bosnia, on April 22. Boric averaged 3.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game for Bosnia and Herze‑ govina in Division B at the Under‑18 European Championship Aug. 15‑25, 2013, in Miskolc, Hungary. Boric shot 10 of 26 from the field and 7 of 13 from the free throw line, and had her best game with nine points and eight rebounds in a 70‑55 win over Austria. — Brian Rapp Senior Myisha Goodwin-Coleman ranked third in the ACC with a career-best 72 three-pointers after making the move from point guard to shooting guard at the start of the season. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN 58-60.Women's BKB Wrapup.indd 60 4/29/14 3:23 PM

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