The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/896287
NOVEMBER 2017 ■ 91 BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2017-18 BY BRIAN RAPP T he one constant in college sports is its ever-changing cast of char- acters. Basketball players — especially in this one-and-done era on the men's side — come and go with a rapidity that often leaves fans forgetting just who played when. Even in women's hoops, which has far fewer players leaving after less than their typical four years, there is a constant, annual makeover of personnel and team leaders. For the past three seasons, NC State's women's squad has been blessed by rare continuity. Two dominant personalities, guards Miah Spencer and Dominique Wil- son, emerged as early as their sophomore seasons in 2014-15 to provide the on- and off-court leadership vital to any successful program, leading the Wolfpack to 20-win seasons each of the last two years and an NCAA Tournament berth last March — the program's first since 2010. But with both leaders graduated, along with two other starters from last year's 23-9 squad, the mantle of leadership has passed to the lone returning veteran of last year's starting five. Chelsea Nelson returns this fall as not only the one starter back from a year ago, but also the Pack's top returning scorer, rebounder and most accurate shooter among all play- ers with at least 50 field goal attempts. It's a given that the focus of attention, especially in the early going of this season, will be on the native of Antioch, Tenn., and her ability to provide the leadership to help the Pack's new starters develop — a daunting responsibility that the youngest child of Keith and Angela Nelson insists will not be a problem. "I don't feel a lot of pressure because of the type of team we have," Nelson said. "I never think about what I've done in the past. I think about the new year, about trying to get better and doing a better job on improv- ing the things I lacked last season. "This situation isn't new because a lot of attention did come to me in high school, but it wasn't like it is now in college. This is a whole different setting." It's also a whole different situation for Nelson, who was primarily a support player her first two years with the Pack, play- ing behind junior college transfer Carlee Schumacher and averaging 5.9 points and 4.5 rebounds in 61 appearances. Follow- ing Schumacher's graduation in 2016, Nel- son, despite her relatively short 6-2 frame, secured the starting nod at the Pack's post position — and became the most consistent scorer inside since All-American Markeisha Gatling in 2014. After never shooting better than 49 percent from the field her first two seasons, Nelson led all Pack starters in field goal percentage last season, making 56.7 percent (136 of 240) while doubling her scoring average to 11.2 points per game. Her 192 rebounds (6.0 average) were 52 more than her previous season best of 140, set during her sophomore year, and led the team. Nelson credits her quantum leap in perfor- mance to the realization that her role would be changing last season. "I knew every year they needed me," she explained, "but last year they really needed me, so I worked hard on the things I felt I lacked: shooting, finishing down low, mak- ing better passes." Her breakout performance came as no surprise to Pack assistant coach Nikki West, who works with the team's posts and for- wards. "She's probably the most aggressive of all our inside players," West said prior to the start of last year. "She's worked at making her shot more consistent, so we can play her at either the four or the five." Defensively, Nelson also proved to be a force, registering a team-high 22 blocked shots to go with 24 steals — the most of any Pack inside player. But that naturally aggressive style has also proved a double-edged sword for Nelson, who has registered 271 fouls in her three- year career, including a team-high 96 last season. "I have high expectations for Chelsea this year," Pack head coach Wes Moore said. "She's gotten better every year, and she plays hard — I love how hard she plays. If every- one played as hard as she does, I'd sleep a lot easier. "But the downside of that is she gets in a lot of foul trouble, so she's got to know when to go for it and when to lay back, because we have to keep her on the floor this year." "It's something I've had a problem with since high school," Nelson admitted. "I have a smaller frame than most post players, so I exert more energy because I have to be constantly moving. It's just knowing when to let someone else get a rebound, taking my emotions out of it because I want to go after every one. "It comes down to better decision mak- ing and improving my basketball IQ — and conserving my energy because I know I'm going to be out there more than I have been up to now." Having a good head for the game is part of Nelson's makeup. Her father, Keith, was a Hall of Fame player for Chattanooga from 1988-92, and went on to an 11-year career professionally, mostly overseas. "Her dad would bring her to practices and games," said Moore, who coached the Mocs women before coming to NC State in 2013. She first picked up a basketball around the age of 5, moving on to organized play in middle school and then a spot on the Overton High School varsity as a freshman. Her prep career was interrupted by two moves — from Overton to Brentwood Acad- emy after her sophomore year, and then back to Overton her senior season –— with the result that she played only two full years, and wasn't highly recruited by Division I programs. "I wanted to go to Louisville [her fa- ther's hometown], but every time they sent someone to scout me I'd have a bad game," Nelson recalled. "Coach Moore had been recruiting me for Chattanooga [his last three years there], but I didn't want to go to school in Tennessee." Xavier and Furman made offers, as well as Middle Tennessee State, Morehead State and Arkansas-Little Rock, but one visit to Raleigh made Nelson's mind up — with some help from a future teammate. "I'd actually never even heard of NC State before Coach Moore called me to tell me he was taking the job there," Nelson said. "I had an awesome visit — I loved the campus, and really bonded with the other recruits The ManTle Of LEADERSHIP Pack Senior Chelsea Nelson, The Lone Returning Starter, Takes On A New Role Nelson averaged 11.2 points and a team- high 6.0 rebounds per game last season despite playing in the post at her relatively undersized 6-2 height. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN