The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/89497
BKB PREVIEW 12-13 If we do that, if we make sure we all play to our strengths and pick up the weak areas of others, we'll win." Once again, defense will be the top pri- ority for the Pack, an area that was spotty last season despite a marked improvement from 2010-11, when opponents scored an all-time high of 71 points a game. While the Pack lowered that average to 65 points a game last winter, that was still in the bot- tom three teams of the conference. A second priority will be to raise the team's field goal percentage from a three- year low of 38.4 percent last season, eighth in the conference, back to at least the 42-percent accuracy that helped the Pack lead the ACC in scoring two years ago. The return of Kastanek, a two-time ACC honorable mention selection and Freshman of the Year in 2009-10 who led NC State in scoring last season (12.9 points per game), and Burke, the team's second-leading re- bounder behind Holston (5.3 per game), provides experienced production at both ends of the floor. Goodwin-Coleman, now in her second full year as the team's point guard, has improved the passing skills that 2012-13 Women's Basketball Schedule March 7 ACC Tournament$ March 3 at Clemson Feb. 3 Wake Forest Feb. 10 Feb. 14 Feb. 17 Feb. 21 Feb. 24 Feb. 28 Jan. 10 Jan. 13 Jan. 17 Jan. 20 Jan. 24 Jan. 27 Jan. 31 at North Carolina Virginia at Florida State Georgia Tech! Miami Clemson Dec. 30 at St. Bonaventure Jan. 3 Jan. 6 Dec. 15 Presbyterian Dec. 20 at Miami at LSU Elon at Georgia Tech at Boston College at Maryland Florida State Virginia Tech at Wake Forest North Carolina at Virginia Duke Nov. 24 vs. Arizona State^ Nov. 25 vs. Northern Iowa^ Nov. 29 Michigan State# Dec. 2 Dec. 9 Nov. 20 Charleston Southern Nov. 23 vs. Florida^ Nov. 10 Auburn or Maine* Nov. 15 Longwood Nov. 9 Wofford* Date Opponent Nov. 4 North Greenville 1:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 2 p.m. TBA 2:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 3 p.m. 7 p.m. 2 p.m. 7 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 7 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 2 p.m. 7 p.m. 2 p.m. 7 p.m. 2 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 7 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 2 p.m. 7 p.m. 7 p.m. 6:30 p.m. Noon TBA Time three-point accuracy (37.7 percent) and third in free throw shooting (83.9 percent) in 2011-12. PHOTO BY ROB BRADLEY Senior guard Marissa Kastanek ranked 13th in the ACC in scoring (12.9 points per game), fifth in put her in the ACC's top 10 in assists in 2011-12. As freshmen, Barrett, Donovan and Kiana Evans all showed flashes of bril- liance last season while learning to adjust to the demands of play in the ACC. That returning talent (minus Donovan, who transferred to Bowling Green State University in Ohio over the summer), in- cluding juniors Lakeesa "Kee" Daniel, Na- shika "Breezy" Williams and sophomore Therany Dunnigan, will be augmented by three newcomers that are already raising expectations around Reynolds Coliseum. In Gatling, a Raleigh native and two-year starter at Florida's Gulf Coast Community College, Harper has one of the major pieces that has been missing from NC State's ar- senal since 6-6 Gillian Goring manned the middle five years ago: a proven threat in the paint with the physical stature to go head to head with the best posts in the conference. "She doesn't have to score 20 points a game for us to be a better team," Harper said. "She is a presence at both ends of the floor — but she will get her touches inside. Our offensive philosophy won't change that much — we've always played with one low post — but knowing she's behind us on defense will mean a few changes in what we do at that end." Another potential offensive boost comes from a second transfer, redshirt sophomore guard Len'Nique Brown, who began her college career at USC before transferring to NC State in 2011. Brown sat out last season per NCAA rules but proved to be a terror on the scout team, according to assistant coach Jon Harper. "We had no one that could guard her * Wolfpack Invitational; ^ South Point Thanksgiving Shootout in Las Vegas; # ACC/Big Ten Challenge; ! Hoops 4 Hope; $ at Greensboro, N.C. 66 ■ THE WOLFPACKER one-on-one," he said. "End to end, she's the fastest player on the team with the ball." That quickness and overall athleticism will offer the Pack a true penetrating threat that was lacking last season. Eli, a 2011 McDonald's All-American nominee (and the newest addition to a squad that now boasts four players from Texas), provides a double-digit scorer and rebounder to challenge for one of the start- ing positions. As Harper put it, she "gives us 100 percent of what we need in attitude and desire. She's a winner, and ahead of the average freshman in mentality and her understanding of the game." It's been more than two decades since an NC State team last won an ACC tourna- ment or regular-season title (1991), and five years since a Pack team last advanced past the first round of NCAA Tournament play. Harper, the former Tennessee All-Amer- ican and three-time NCAA champion, has made it a goal to return the program to those pinnacles, in some respects raising expectations with an NCAA berth in her inaugural year, before the downturn of the last two seasons. This year, with a roster of players all cho- sen by her and her staff, and with the most talked-about post player since NC State's NCAA regional semifinal appearance of 2007, expectations among Pack fans are on the rise again. But Harper says there is no more pressure this year than any other — especially considering the most pressure she feels is self-generated. "I want to win every game," she said. "If you're working for that, nothing else can equal that pressure. "We wanted to be a better team last year, but we weren't as good as we wanted. This could be a really good year for us, but re- gardless of records, I am passionate about this program and believe in what we're doing here. "Every night when I go to sleep, I feel I've done my best. I believe in our team, our staff and this program … and when you have that confidence, you feel OK." ■