The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/503388
54 ■ THE WOLFPACKER again, or Ashley, even though this wasn't her last year — knowing we were playing for them, and each other, all the time, every game." There were the injuries, the four-game los- ing streak in January (the longest in two years and the longest in Moore's brief two-year tenure in Raleigh), the crushing overtime loss at Boston College and the last-second ACC Tournament defeat at the hands of the Hokies. But there were still the flashes of greatness that typify Wolfpack women's basketball: the huge comeback win against Miami, the 18-point halftime deficit marking the pro- gram's biggest overcome since 1992; the lone win against a ranked team this season, an emotional 72-59 victory over then-No. 10 Duke — the first regular-season win over the Blue Devils since 2001 — coming in the annual Hoops 4Hope cancer benefit game, snapping a four-game losing skid in that an- nual contest; and another come-from-behind triumph in Greenville March 22 in a 69-65 WNIT second-round win against East Caro- lina, which gave NC State its deepest post- season tournament run since reaching the WNIT semifinals in 2008. "The Miami game was a highlight for me," Eli said. "I was out by that time, but I think it was the first time we regrouped and won a game without having to wait until the next game to come back from being down. I felt like we were finally pushing through all the adversity." "The highlights for me were the ECU Pack Lands Largest Recruiting Class In Years One of the many factors cited by NC State women's basketball head coach Wes Moore in this past season's disappointing 18‑15 record was the lack of competition within the team caused by the Wolfpack's untimely rash of injuries. That won't be a problem next year. The largest recruiting class in more than a decade arrives this summer, with six freshmen joining the Pack's 10 returning veterans to form a 16‑member roster — the largest in Moore's 27 years as a coach. "The cream will rise," he said. "After the year we just went through, I'm excited about working with that number. I'll figure it out. Yes, it's going to be hard to keep everyone happy — so compete! Keep me happy!" The class, which was signed in November, features four four‑star and two three‑star recruits, and is rated No. 16 nationally by ESPN HoopGurlz. Blue Star Report has the class — the largest among the programs in its top 20 — ranked No. 6 in the coun ‑ try, while Prospects Nation lists it No. 24. Rydeiah "DD" Rogers, the highest‑ranked pros‑ pect in the class (No. 63 overall player in the coun‑ try according to ESPN HoopGurlz), is one of five in the group that was nominated for the McDonald's High School All‑American team and one of four to play for a state championship winner this past season. A 6‑1 forward from Charlotte's Myers Park High, Rogers comes by her hoops talent naturally. Her father, former Durham Hillside star Rodney Rogers, was a standout at Wake Forest and the 1993 ACC Player of the Year who went on to a 12‑year career in the NBA, and older sister Roddreka is a junior at Georgia Tech. Rydeiah Rogers averaged 10.0 points and 12.0 boards a game for Myers Park, which fin ‑ ished 29‑1 this past season en route to its second straight state title. "Her numbers may not look that impressive, but that's because her team was very talented, so they were spread out," Moore said. "She's relentless on the boards and can run the floor. She played post in high school and is working on extending her game." Southeast Raleigh High School's Amber Richardson, a 6‑0 wing, is another four‑star standout and McDonald's All‑American nominee who earned first‑team All‑Greater Neuse Conference honors while helping her squad to a 26‑4 mark this season and a state runner‑up finish. Ranked as the No. 1 wing prospect and No. 72 overall player in the country by ESPN HoopGurlz, Richardson was named conference player of the year as a junior while averaging 12.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists a contest. "She's got great potential," Moore said. "She's strong, athletic and can shoot the three, which is important because I want all our guards to be three‑point threats. She probably needs to learn to play a little faster for this level." Kaila Ealey, ranked as the No. 75 overall player in the land by ESPN HoopGurlz, is another local product. A 5‑8 point guard from Raleigh's Broughton High School, Ealey is also a four‑star recruit and McDonald's All‑American nominee. She averaged 26.4 points a game for a team that finished 20‑7 and earned second‑team Associated Press all‑state honors. "She's super quick — her speed and quickness are off the chart," Moore said. "She can get to the rim anytime she wants. She needs to continue to work on her range so people can't just back off her, but she can create offense with her defense." Moore is hoping Ealey could be an early replacement for departed point guard Len'Nique Brown‑Hoskin, which would allow him to keep returning junior Miah Spencer at the two‑guard spot she's played the past two years. Jonquanae "Nae Nae" Cole, the tallest incoming freshman at 6‑3, is ranked as a four‑star prospect and the No. 100 overall player nationally by ESPN HoopGurlz. Another McDon ‑ ald's All‑American nominee, Cole earned first‑team All‑Western Catholic Athletic Conference honors at Gainesville (Va.) Pope Paul VI High this past sea‑ son, helping the team to a 32‑2 mark and its ninth straight state title. "Nae Nae has great inside size, can run pretty well and is strong," Moore noted. "She had SEC and Big Ten teams offer her. I'm excited to see what she can do — I think she can be a presence inside for us, someone that can score in that one‑position [in the Pack's four‑out, one‑in scheme]." Lena Niang, a native of Senegal, is a 6‑2 forward who played on the same Riverdale Baptist High School team as 2014 NC State recruit Chloe Jackson (who has since transferred to LSU). She's rated as a three‑star prospect and the No. 19 forward in the class by ESPN HoopGurlz, and is the final McDon ‑ ald's All‑American nominee in the Pack's recruiting class. She averaged 14.0 points, 11.0 boards and 3.0 assists per contest as a junior, when Riverdale Baptist won the national private school championship, and helped the team to a 24‑12 record this past season. "She's a long, slender athlete who can step out and shoot the three, and she played a lot of guard in high school, so she's a good ball handler," Moore said. "She needs to get stronger and tougher, but she has big‑time potential." Camille Anderson, a 5‑9 guard from Buford (Ga.) High School, was the 2015 all‑area and Gwinett Tip‑Off Club's Player of the Year after leading Buford to a 30‑3 record and a state title — the fourth member of the Pack recruiting class to have won a state championship this past season. Anderson, who is rated as a three‑star recruit, was the Region 7AAA Player of the Year as a junior after averaging 14.8 points, 8.0 assists and 6.0 rebounds per contest. This past season, she earned Region 8AAAA first‑team accolades. "She's got great fundamentals, a high motor and is a very intelligent player," Moore said. "Her work ethic is off the chart. She could probably be an instant leader for us with her effort and energy. "The think I like most about this group is that they all are used to winning," he added. "They all come from programs that instill what it takes to win a championship. I've always been a believer that you need people who have those aspirations and know how to get it done. "I'm excited to see what we can do with this group and the core of veterans we have coming back." — Brian Rapp Head coach Wes Moore and his staff signed six play- ers in the class of 2015, a haul that included four four-star prospects and was ranked as high as No. 6 nationally. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN