MCLAMB'S MUSINGS: Take It All In
First, I apologize for both not posting this sooner and for not getting as much writing done recently as I would like.
I am trying to navigate covering NC State events with attending two grad schools, while also being with my family -- and in particular my father as he runs the family towing business. It can get hectic, and time will slip by if you are not focused.
It is tough, but it can be done. I probably could tighten up my schedule some to produce more content, and I plan on doing so, but there may be times where I must prioritize something off the grid a little more, such as completing a school assignment. I promise to do the best that I can.
WHAT A WIN
I am in a unique place watching Wes Moore’s teams play. I am often impressed and wanting to heap praise, yet I am not as often surprised with his teams when they conquer top-tier opponents. His Wolfpack teams are elite, and he demands that it stays that way.
People asked me what I thought about going into the UConn game, and I predicted that NC State would win. I know the talent Moore has at his disposal, but what others are starting to figure out is that there is also leadership, accountability, and players that are embracing roles. It is early, but this looks like it will be an improvement over last season.
Folks also often queried me about what was wrong with last season’s team, both during the campaign and after. Long story short, Moore was never going to let that linger and, while appreciative of the contributions made from 2019-20 to 2021-22, the lack of leadership and accountability last season made it both easier and much more convenient to make the changes necessary for the long-term betterment of the program. That does not mean that the attitude of gratitude for past players does not exist, but loyalty is a two-way street. Anything akin to lackadaisicalness or selfishness gave Moore the coverage he needed to move forward with younger players.
When I was asked if NC State would be better this season back in January 2023 or in March 2023 or in September 2023 or now, my answer has been the same. NC State will be better this season, and if they need a bridge year to get back to top-10 levels, this season’s squad would do that but not be far off. I believed it then, and many others believe it now.
My views are not just exclusive to me. While I would like to think I am ‘in the know’ when it comes to things, I can promise you that UConn head coach Geno Auriemma has forgotten more about basketball than I will ever know. Yet, he sees the same things. His comments after the game showed that he thinks the parts fit better this season for NC State, and the Wolfpack is legitimate.
It is important to keep in mind that early last season, it was NC State strolling into Iowa and scoring at will en route to a huge road win. In a sense, this is not unprecedented and last season’s team won similar types of games, but those games brought out a comradery and others could not. It seems to be perpetual with the team. They don’t try to flip a switch when it comes to working as a unit. It is more of a lifestyle now.
NC State Flows Through Rivers And Brooks
When Aziaha James picked up her second foul in the first quarter against UConn, I remember thinking that it could help NC State in a roundabout way.
I generally would not encourage the Wolfpack to have one of the better players in the country (yes, I said that) get into foul trouble and it certainly would behoove NCSU to not have three players pick up two fouls in the first quarter against anyone, much less the No. 2 team in the nation. But when James was pulled after her second foul, that meant Zoe Brooks was summoned to duty. She looks like a female version of Sidney Lowe (her wearing No. 35 helps evoke that comparison too).
Brooks has many skillsets that bely her status as a freshman. She seems to understand defensive assignments and where the dump-offs will occur when an opposing player (that she is not guarding) gets penetration into the lane. She does not chase where the ball is, but drifts to where the ball will be – and it is a sight to behold. I truly believe that Raina Perez is one of the better and most important basketball players in NC State’s history. I think Brooks can surpass her, and I don’t say that lightly.
While UConn had a nine-point lead after one quarter, the turnaround began when Brooks entered the game. She supplied the points when her team needed them and supplemented her game to fit the team construct when Rivers, James, and others were giving the Wolfpack the points it needed. That is Lowe-like. That is Perez-like. That is a freshman who has played only two college games.
And then there is Saniya Rivers.
Rivers is blossoming into one of the best players in the nation, just as she was projected to be out of high school. She started things with midrange knockdowns. That gave her leverage to drive, and she did that at will. At the women’s college basketball level, players who can handle the ball must be able to chase down rebounds, and Rivers seems to always find it after a missed shot. Her 10 rebounds were sneaky, as it did not seem like she spent any time in the paint – at least on the defensive side of the court.
The points and rebounds were augmented by other stats – basically all other stats. Rivers produced in every way imaginable. On Sunday, she was the best player in college basketball. The beauty of her performance from an NC State perspective is that everything pointed to this game being the one to take the next step, and that is not when it is always easiest. There were two things that the Wolfpack had to have to beat UConn, contributions from freshmen and Rivers at the top of her game. NCSU got both.
Looking at what Rivers was projected to do in college along with her status as an upperclassman, NC State’s fall from grace last season and projected eight place finish in the 2023-24 ACC standings, and the Wolfpack’s lofty opponent on Sunday, it was time for Rivers to be elite. She went beyond. Saniya Rivers was special.
Roles That Get The Pack Rolling
Laci Steele, Mallory Collier, and Lizzy Williamson played a combined 10 minutes. Each of them played reputable relative both to their teammates and the competition. None looked nervous or out of their element, and the minutes they provided had value within the team construct.
Maddie Cox sort of fell in between the area of the trio, who were there to give minutes so starters could rest and help them avoid worsening the foul situation, and Zoe Brooks, who was a contributor that did heavy lifting. Cox gave the Wolfpack more than 16 minutes of action and finished with five points along with two rebounds and an assist. She hit an important three-pointer in the first half as NC State rallied from a 9-point deficit.
Mimi Collins (8 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks in 34 minutes) and River Baldwin (6 points and 6 rebounds in 22 minutes) seem to understand that NC State is a guard/wing dominant team and, as such, accept that they are there to supplement Rivers, James, and company. If points are needed, they are not afraid to take the shots, but they are also not likely to fling a ball backwards over their head towards the basket just because they are within three feet of the goal.
Knowing roles is a prerequisite to going on rolls. NC State has players who seem to grasp how they can help the greater cause, and that is exactly what Auriemma said that he noticed was different about this season’s version of the Wolfpack.
HOMAGE TO THE PAST
So much about NC State, both the school and its athletic programs, is about honoring legacy. In the case of women’s basketball, there is the great Kay Yow and, of course, Reynolds Coliseum itself.
Wes Moore is in his 11th season as head coach at NC State, where he was once an assistant under Yow. His accomplishments at the school are adding to its legacy that already existed while also creating his own in Raleigh, the ACC, and the NCAA. For Moore, the titles did not come until 2019-20, but there were players and teams that laid the foundation for the success. They helped Moore and the Wolfpack navigate through the early years, which meant rebuilding the program and Reynolds Coliseum.
There are folks who lifted NC State up to the precipice of elite status as top-4 finishers in the ACC and Sweet Sixteen appearances from teams that were consistently ranked. I am convinced that Moore will one day reach the Final Four and then win a national title at NC State. I just think that he has the skill and the will to get it done. When that day comes, the players on that team will be instant legends. Their lives will never be the same.
But what about those who did heavy lifting for NC State in the early years?
At Sunday’s game, several former players showed up to support the Wolfpack. The list included Miah Spencer (pronounced My-yah, not Me-yah), Kaila Ealey, Grace Hunter and the great Kiara Leslie. There might not be much in the way of championships from that group, but they did their bit to get NC State there, and the Wolfpack undoubtably would not be there without them. After the games, the NC State band plays, “Old MacDonald Had a Farm” and the team lines up to kick their legs Rockettes-style. It is a neat and cool tradition. The former players were on the court after NC State beat UConn, and they joined in. It was a pleasant sight.
As I mentioned, one day NC State will cut down the nets at the Final Four. Hopefully, the Wolfpackers who helped that journey will be able to share as much in the joyful event as possible. It is nice to see that they are not forgotten.
TAKE IT ALL IN
I am sure most have seen the photos of the aftermath of NC State’s win over No. 2 UConn. There was Rivers doing a postgame interview. There were men’s basketball players galore. Players went into the stands to celebrate with family members and fellow students. There was an abundance of happiness, and even some tears of joy.
I am like a lot of folks who write for a living, in that I look for that Internet clout from time-to-time. If there is a cool picture or video that can go viral, I am likely going to try to catch it. On Sunday, I refrained from doing that. It occurred to me that others were doing it too, so I chose to take a different path. There are times in life where we are so focused on recording something for posterity that we forget to bask in the moment.
As I took in the scene Sunday – before, during, and after the game – I was reminded about my journey covering NC State’s women’s basketball program.
When I first covered NC State women’s basketball, I decided that, as the program of Yow, it deserved to be treated seriously. I felt that it would behoove me to be in front of the crowd, because I surmised that the Wolfpack would one day be good, and when they were, the fan base would be quite appreciative, supportive, and thirsting for information.
I was one of the first to live-tweet games locally, and I did the same for the women’s team. That could get ugly, and most of it came from NC State fans. I would get cussed at for ‘crowding my timeline’ and laughed at for tweeting about ‘something no one cares about.’
I know Reynolds is sacred, but it really had slipped too. Frankly, players and coaches of the time looked at it like it was a dump. The value was only nostalgic, and it had no appeal to recruits. It was quite the journey, but eventually I was vindicated but only because NC State chose to value its program as much as I felt it should be. They invest in this. They did not just go for quick fixes but planted seeds for long-term success. They hired a coach to lead them, and he was hired for the right reasons and not because of any type of publicity. He was hired because he wins championships.
As I looked around at the joy, I thought about the journey and the fact that I get to see it up close. I was reminded of the old Reynolds, an 0-7 start in ACC play, the joy of beating Maryland in 2013, the WNIT, Broughton High School, the egregious calls in Texas, the crestfallen players who lost to Indiana, and the crime of having to play UConn in Bridgeport – along with the ACC titles. I recalled some of the other upsets of previous years. I remembered the cancer survivors who fill the Kay Yow Court at halftime of the Play4Kay Game – and who, after all these years, are still are undefeated when it comes to making me break down in tears.
Sometimes, it is cool to have photos and videos, but there also comes a time in life where you just need to use your eyes and ears, let the memory be personal within your own mind, and then keep it there. It has been a great ride so far for me. Because of Sunday, I now have new memories too.