The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/896287
NOVEMBER 2017 ■ 85 have the urgency to contest a shot, get to a loose ball, whatever it might be. And right now, I'm not real pleased with that aspect of our team. "They have to grow up and realize the importance of the little things, the urgency. I'm sure Miah, Dom and Ashley didn't, ei- ther, when they were young players. It's a matter of how fast we can instill that sense of urgency." With the season opener looming Nov. 10 against a Jacksonville team that won 23 games a year ago, Moore admitted he's had a few sleepless nights trying to prepare his young squad for the task ahead. "What's the old saying? I sleep like a baby: I wake up every couple of hours and cry," joked Moore, who then reiterated what he wanted to see from his squad. "Toughness. Whatever you want to call it — mental tough- ness, physical toughness — just gritting your teeth and finding a way. "That's right at the top of my list." Experienced Frontcourt Will Lead Team This season, the anchor of Moore's four- out, one-in scheme is returning senior starting forward Chelsea Nelson. The 6-1 veteran from Antioch, Tenn., is not only the Pack's top returning scorer (11.2 points per game), but also its top returning rebounder (6.0 per game, which led the team last year) and most accurate shooter among the starters (56.7 percent, 136 of 240). "I have high expectations for her," Moore said. "She's gotten better every year, and she plays hard. The downside of that is that she gets in a lot of foul trouble [leading the team with 96 last season, with four disqualifica- tions]." Assistant coach Nikki West, who over- sees NC State's forwards and centers, feels Nelson's commitment to improve, which in- cluded summer gym sessions, will help her make better decisions this season. "She's ready to lead the team," West said. "She's worked on her ball handling so she can extend her game and maybe even play a little at the four position. "Sometimes she'll over pass, or not read the defense and make a move that's not ap- propriate at the time, but she's been working on that, and so far, has been doing a good job in practice." "I know it's important for me to be work- ing to get better, especially this year with all the young players we have," Nelson said. "I have to have more of a voice than the last three years and be able to communicate bet- ter." Though Nelson is expected to return to the post position she manned a year ago, she may move to Mathurin's old forward spot at times when senior center Akela Maize comes into the game. Maize, the Pack's tallest player at 6-5, av- eraged 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per contest in 26 appearances last season. Her post defense and shot blocking (she swatted away 18 shots, second only to Nelson's team-leading 22) stood out most. "She showed flashes last year of really affecting the game at both ends of the court," Moore said. "Looking back at the Louisville game [a 72-70 overtime upset of the Cardi- nals on the road], I don't think we win that game without Akela [she registered a career- high 11 points in 25 minutes of action, with three blocks]. Hopefully, we can get that kind of performance on a consistent basis." Maize was also tasked with improving her decision-making this past summer, after finishing second to Nelson in fouls (54) and leading the Pack with five disqualifications. Junior Nae Nae Cole will again be the prime backup in the post after averaging 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 9.3 minutes per game in 24 appearances last season. "She makes nice post moves, but she has to finish," West said. "That's the area we asked her to work on. She's got to finish at the rim." Junior DD Rogers averaged the second- most minutes of all non-starting frontcourt players (10.4) and saw action in all but one of the Pack's 32 games last year, contribut- ing 3.0 rebounds per game as a defensive standout. "She's been working on her three-point shot so she can knock it down more consis- tently," West said (Rogers was 3 of 11 from the arc last season). "DD is very athletic and hard to box out, and we'd like her to be a little more active on offense," Moore added. "Hopefully, the BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2017-18 Senior center Akela Maize flashed her potential last year while scoring a career-high 11 points and blocking three shots in the Pack's 72-70 upset at Louisville. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN