The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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90 ■ THE WOLFPACKER WOLFPACK BASKETBALL PREVIEW pionship game will form the contingent that will shoulder the burden of point pro- duction for the Pack this season — at least until a consistent scoring threat emerges from NC State's rebuilding inside game. And a major key to that perimeter scor- ing will be the Pack's ability to equal, or better, last season's 34.0-percent three- point shooting accuracy, which was fifth best in the ACC. The Wolfpack topped the previous single-season mark for made three-pointers, 205 in 2012, by 37. "Can we knock down the threes?" Hill asked. "We crushed that record last year, so hopefully we can get close to that again. "We always emphasize making threes, and all of our guards have gotten in the gym in the offseason, and now in practice, and are getting up a lot of shots. This group, I feel, is a little more athletic, so in addition to making threes I also feel we'll be able to do more off the dribble. If we can, we'll be able to create some more space and make it even easier for people to get open threes." That ability to create space for open shots will be even more of a priority, with Gatling and Burke no longer inside to re- lieve defensive pressure. "Having Gatling in there, a player that any time you got in trouble you could just throw it in and let her make something hap- pen, was a great comfort factor," Hill said. "We've got some people who may develop eventually into that kind of presence, but we don't have that now. "So we have to be prepared to do some things differently than last year — open the floor up and use our improved athleticism to find more opportunities to drive the ball to the rack. Hopefully we can take advan- tage of teams trying to come out and get up on us on the perimeter." Anchoring this year's team and forming the nucleus that Moore and his staff will build around is the returning starting trio of fifth-year senior point guard Len'Nique Brown-Hoskin, senior wing Krystal Barrett and sophomore two guard Miah Spencer. Brown-Hoskin, who will start her second full season at the point after splitting that duty the previous two years with Goodwin- Coleman, is the Pack's returning leader in scoring, rebounding, assists, free throw percentage and minutes played — an im- pressive summary considering her 5-5 stat- ure. She scored in double figures 12 times last season, but may have to add to that total this season to compensate for the 61 percent of scoring that was lost with last year's departed seniors. "She's had a year in the system to learn what Coach Moore expects from his point guard," Hill said, "and that should help us run the offense even better this year. We're also going to ask her to help us with our three-point shooting, and she's been working a lot on it to be more comfortable with it." In Spencer, the Pack has its best return- ing long-range weapon. The 5-8 sopho- more began the year as the backup to God- win-Coleman at the two-guard spot, but became a full-time starter after the senior was lost for the season with a knee injury at Duke Feb. 20. Over the final six games of the season, Spencer averaged 14.0 points (on 50-per- cent shooting), 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 as- sists, finishing the season with an overall 38.6-percent accuracy from the three-point arc — best on the team. She led the team in scoring in three of the final four games of the 2013-14 campaign, including a career- best 18 points in the Pack's 84-60 loss to Notre Dame in the regular-season finale. "That experience she got last year is go- ing to be a huge benefit," Hill said. "You can already see it in practice — she's more comfortable and confident, and you can tell she's gotten stronger with the work she's done in the summer." "We'll be looking for her to take up where she left off," Moore added. "She had an outstanding freshman year, especially down the stretch when she was starting, and she's a guard who can not only be a threat shooting the three but can get to the rim and finish. We are definitely going to need her to be one of our main scoring options." Heightened scoring expectations are also in store for Barrett, who has consistently hovered around 6.5 points per game her first three years, the last two as NC State's starting three (wing/small forward) player. Barrett netted double figures in 12 games last season, but both Moore and Hill are looking for a noticeable rise in that number this winter. "She's worked hard on her shot, and we tinkered around with some mechanics to hopefully make her more consistent," Hill said. "She's been very open to the changes and she knows this is her last year, so she's really making an effort. One thing that hurt her consistency last year was foul trouble [she tallied 71 personals, fourth- highest among the starters], so the main thing we're looking to her for this year is consistency. "Also, I think having some competition for the position this year will be extra mo- tivation for her." That competition is coming from return- ing sophomore Ashley Williams, redshirt sophomore Dominique Wilson and incom- ing freshman Chloe Jackson. Wilson, initially, could be the prime chal- lenger to the returning trio for playing time after sitting out last season following her transfer from Arkansas after the 2012-13 season. The 5-9 Georgia native and daugh- ter of former Georgie Tech player Damon Wilson started 19 games for the Razorbacks, averaging 6.6 points and 2.5 rebounds, with a career-high 19 points against Alabama, for a team that finished 20-13 and went to the WNIT. She is also the first Arkansas player since 2006 to score 17 or more points in three consecutive games. "She can play any of the three positions," Hill said, "and she gives us someone with size who can shoot the three and also create off the dribble and get to the rim for and- one [foul shooting] chances." Williams averaged 10.5 minutes in 24 appearances last season, mostly as a backup to Goodwin-Coleman at the two guard spot, netting 63 points (2.6 per game) and shooting 33.3 percent (31.4 from three- point range). ■ 2014-15 NC State Backcourt No. Name Pos. Ht. Cl. Hometown (Previous School) 12 Krystal Barrett G 5-9 Sr. Dallas (Skyline) 2 Len'Nique Brown-Hoskin PG 5-5 5th-Sr. San Antonio (Wagner H.S./USC) 23 Chloe Jackson G 5-9 Fr. Upper Marlboro, Md. (Riverdale Baptist) 30 Kaley Moser G 5-11 Jr. Burlington, N.C. (Williams) 3 Miah Spencer G 5-8 So. Decatur, Ga. (Columbia) 4 Ashley Williams G 5-8 So. Cary (Green Hope) 22 Dominique Wilson PG 5-8 R-So. Powder Springs, Ga. (McEachern) Freshman Chloe Jackson was a WBCA High School Honorable Mention All-American, and she was ranked as the 19th-best guard in the country last year by ESPN. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS