The Wolfpacker

November 2017

The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports

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94 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2017-18 Stats To Watch 1. Backcourt Scoring — There have been past years when NC State lost as many as four starters — but it's doubtful the Pack ever lost four starters who ac- counted for more than 48 percent of the team's scoring. With senior forward Chelsea Nelson the only returning player with a double-figure scoring average (11.2 points per game) last season, it will be critical for NC State to find replacements to supply the 34.5 points per contest that guards Miah Spencer, Dominique Wilson and Ashley Williams averaged as a group last year. 2. Frontcourt Fouls — Nelson, along with senior center Akela Maize and junior Nae Nae Cole, return with the fourth, eighth and ninth most individual minutes played last season. But Nelson and Maize also posted the most (96) and second most (54) personal foul, respectively, on the team in 2016-17, with Maize fouling out of a team-leading five games and Nelson four. Pack coaches agree that Nelson's aggres- sive play inside was a big key to her marked improvement from her sophomore season to last year — but with her and Maize the most experienced inside players on the roster, it will be imperative that both cut down the fouls. 3. Three-Point Accuracy — NC State's 33.1-percent accuracy from the arc last sea- son (240 made threes in 725 attempts) put the Pack in the top three in the ACC in long-range marksmanship, and was six points higher than their opponents' three-point percentage. However, with the departure of Ashley Williams, who finished fourth in the ACC in three-point accuracy (41.3 percent, with a team-leading 73 made treys), the Pack must come up with reliable long-range threats to be able to make head coach Wes Moore's four- out, one-in offense run successfully. ■ By The Numbers 4 Number that departed guard Ashley Williams wore during her four years at NC State — the fourth player to don the numeral in the program's history. Returning sophomore guard Lucky Rudd will be the fifth when she switches the 15 she wore as a fresh- man for the number she wore during a successful high school career in Kernersville, N.C. 8 Where NC State was picked to finish in the ACC's preseason poll of the conference's Blue Ribbon Panel of media members and sports information directors. The coaches poll placed the Pack 10th in the 15-team conference. 14 Wins head coach Wes Moore needs to reach the 100-victory mark for his five years at NC State. Six wins would put his overall career mark at 650 victories. 279 Points senior forward Chelsea Nelson needs to be- come the 33rd player in NC State history to surpass 1,000 career points. Five Key Games Jacksonville, Nov. 10 — The 2017-18 season opener is against a Jacksonville squad that posted a 23-9 record last season — the first of 13 opponents on this year's schedule that won 20 or more games in 2016-17. Unlike last year, when eight of the Pack's 13 non-conference opponents had losing records from 2015-16, only four had more losses than wins a year ago. Old Dominion, Nov. 20 — ODU is coming off a 17-14 campaign in 2016-17, and will have a new coach this year, former WNBA standout and South Carolina assistant Nikki McCray. The Wolfpack's first road game of the season will be the 35th meeting between the two former national powers, with NC State owning a 20-14 advantage. Virginia Tech, Dec. 28 — NC State opens the ACC portion of the schedule on the road in Blacks- burg against a Hokies team that, despite an 11th-place finish in the ACC, still managed 20 wins and advanced to the WNIT quarterfinals. The contest will also be the Wolfpack's 15th game of the season — by which time, hopefully, NC State will have answered some of the questions it faced heading into the campaign. Duke, Jan. 7 — You have to go back to 1989-91, when the teams played twice a year, to find the last time NC State put more than three consecutive wins together against the Blue Devils. And that's what the Pack will be trying to do in Cameron Indoor Stadium against a Duke squad that won 28 games last season and finished runner-up to Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament. The Pack hasn't had back-to- back wins in Cameron since 1991-92. Wake Forest, Feb. 18: NC State's final home game of the regular season will not only be Senior Day for Chelsea Nelson and Akela Maize, but the Pack's annual Play4Kay cancer benefit contest. There will be more than the usual incentive for the Pack in the contest that honors legendary former coach Kay Yow's memory — it's a chance to avenge last year's 89-77 upset loss to the Deacons. Sophomore guard Aislinn Konig, who shot 41.3 percent from three-points range and av- eraged 1.6 treys per game in 2016-17, will be an important player for the Pack this season because of her long-range shooting ability. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS Quick Facts The Key Names, Games And Numbers To Know About The 2017-18 Women's Team Returning Leaders Points: Sr. F Chelsea Nelson (11.2 per game) Rebounds: Nelson (6.0 per game) Assists: R-So. G Kaila Ealy (1.6 per game) Blocks: Nelson (0.7 per game) Steals: Ealy (0.9 per game) Three-pointers made: So. G Aislinn Konig (1.6 per game) FG percentage: Sr. C Nae Nae Cole (.630; 29 of 46) FT percentage: Nelson (.694; 86 of 124) Minutes: Nelson (21.1 per game)

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