The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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86 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2016-17 tent," added assistant coach Nikki West, who oversees NC State's posts and forwards. "I think her getting in the gym this summer and spending more time trying to work on those things will show this year." Nelson, who averaged 17.7 minutes per game last year as a backup in the post, will contend with returning junior Akela Maize (4.7 minutes per contest in 10 appearances) for time underneath. "Chelsea's been able to extend her range some more, so we'll be able to play her at either the four or five." West said. "Akela's really been dominating in practice. She's gotten stronger and more confident and has more feel for the game." Sophomore Nae Nae Cole, another lightly used center last year (18 appearances, 7.4 minutes per game) is expected to be more of a true five player after improving her phy- sique and showing more aggressiveness in preseason scrimmages. "I do think she has the potential to be an- other factor inside," Moore said. Sophomore DD Rogers was the Pack's third-most used inside player last season, appearing in 30 games and averaging 10.9 minutes and 3.1 points per contest. "She's continuing to make the transition from a back-to-the-basket player in high school to a power forward," Moore said. "Her range is something we continue to work on, but she has a nose for the ball." Freshman Erika Cassell rounds out NC State's frontcourt group. "I'm throwing a lot at her right now, so she's got that deer-in-the-headlights look," West said of her 6-2 recruit from Marietta, Ga. "She's a hard-nosed, tough kid who may be a little undersized for a four, but she'll run through a wall for you. "If I were to rank our inside players in aggressiveness, I'd put Jenn and Chelsea up there, but Erika, as a freshman, is right there with them." Schedule Presents Unique Challenges NC State's 14-member roster is two less than last year, but as Moore pointed out, last year's added numbers didn't equate to added depth later in the season. "Unfortunately, we had so many close non-conference games we had to play the veterans more than we planned," he ex- plained. This year's schedule should, on paper, not present as many early challenges. Of the Pack's 13 non-conference opponents, only four had winning records last season, with Kansas State (19-13 a year ago), UTEP (29- 5) and Indiana (21-12) the only three to earn postseason berths in the NCAA Tournament or WNIT. "A lot of the people we've been playing didn't want to play this year, but they would next year," Moore pointed out, noting the Pack's senior-dominated lineup as the prob- able reason. "I am concerned about it, but we did the best we could. We added the trip to the Virgin Islands [for the Paradise Jam in November], so we'll see some good teams there [both Kansas State and UTEP are in the field, along with LSU]. Indiana was in the NCAA Tournament, and Tulane won 23 games last year." The Pack will need all the competitive experience it can develop with those foes to prepare for a murderous start to the confer- ence season. NC State opens ACC play Dec. 29 by hosting three-time defending league champion Notre Dame — picked by one preseason poll to win this year's national championship — followed by Florida State, Miami and Wake Forest. Those four teams accounted for four of the Pack's six con- ference losses last year. The league is well represented in the national polls with the Irish, Hurricanes, Seminoles, Syracuse and Louisville all picked by some to finish in the top 25. "Yes, it's a brutal stretch to start, but you have to play everyone anyway," Moore said. "We just tried to look for some balance in the non-conference schedule, with teams that will be a challenge and others where you can play a lot of people and get experience. As tough as the ACC is, you can't afford to go out and play 13 brutal non-conference opponents. "I've said many times, if you can compete in the ACC, you can compete with anyone in the country. Syracuse [which finished third in the conference last season and played UConn for the national title] proved that last year. I think we're getting closer to where we want to be. "Our first year here, we inherited a great senior class that was hungry. We were picked to finish 10th [in the ACC] that year, and we finished fourth. Last year we were picked ninth, and we finished tied for fifth. This year, we're picked seventh. "We're the highest-ranked team in the preseason poll without an All-ACC team member, so we need to go out and reprove ourselves, and hopefully prove some people wrong again." ■ 2016-17 NC State Women's Basketball Schedule Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET) Nov. 4 UNC Pembroke^ 7 p.m. Nov. 12 Wofford TBA Nov. 16 Hampton 7 p.m. Nov. 19 College of Charleston TBA Nov. 21 Maryland Eastern Shore 7 p.m. Nov. 24 vs. Kansas State+ 3 p.m. Nov. 25 vs. UTEP+ 5:15 p.m. Nov. 26 vs. LSU+ 3 p.m. Dec. 1 Indiana# 7 p.m. Dec. 4 North Florida 2 p.m. Dec. 11 UNC Wilmington 2 p.m. Dec. 14 North Carolina Central 7 p.m. Dec. 17 at Tulane 1 p.m. Dec. 19 at South Alabama 6:30 p.m. Dec. 29 Notre Dame* 7 p.m. Jan. 2 at Florida State* 7 p.m. Jan. 5 Miami* 7 p.m. Jan. 8 at Wake Forest* (RSN) 2 p.m. Jan. 12 at Syracuse* 7 p.m. Jan. 15 Duke* (RSN) 3 p.m. Jan. 22 Clemson* 2 p.m. Jan. 26 Pittsburgh* 7 p.m. Jan. 29 at North Carolina* 3 p.m. Feb. 2 at Louisville* 7 p.m. Feb. 9 at Georgia Tech* 7 p.m. Feb. 12 Virginia Tech* 2 p.m. Feb. 16 at Boston College* 7 p.m. Feb. 19 Wake Forest*& (ESPNU) 2 p.m. Feb. 23 North Carolina* 7 p.m. Feb. 26 at Virginia* 2 p.m. March 1-5 ACC Tournament$ TBA ^ Exhibition; + Paradise Jam at the U.S. Virgin Islands; # ACC/Big Ten Challenge; *ACC game; & Hoops for Hope; $ at HTC Center in Conway, S.C.; RSN — Regional Sports Network Senior guard Ashley Williams averaged 6.1 points per game and made 51 three-pointers last season. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN