The Ladies host #3 NC State Wolfpack at noon on Sunday Jan 7. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network. NC State is 14 and 0 on the season with wins over current #13 UConn and RV Vanderbilt.
The Wolfpack have the height and experience to match up well with the Hokies:
And they have an Australian in 6'5" Grad Center Lizzy Williamson; but she does not play much. Their starting five include 2 grad students, a senior and 2 juniors. Their next four players are all freshmen. Their top 6 players average 26 to 31 minutes per game.
They are coached by Wes Moore, who has coached NC State for 10 of his 34 years as a head coach. His record is impressive:
Head coaching record: 800-250 (.762)
Completed seasons: 34
Winning seasons: 33
Postseason appearances: 28
20-win seasons: 29
25-win seasons: 14
Coach of the Year honors: 14
2021 WBCA National Coach of the Year
2019 Associated Press National Coach of the Year Runner-Up
If you could not guess from their 14-0 record, you could assume from Coach Moore's career that the Wolfpack is a well-coached team. They are also talented.
Team stats on the year:
Individual stats:
They have six players averaging double digit scoring; but no one averages a double-double like Kitley.
The Wolfpack is a very well-rounded team, able to score inside and beyond the arc. The Hokies will have to play much better than they have been to win this one. Let's hope that Coach Brooks has prepared the Ladies for this game. Hopefully his mixing and matching in these early games has gotten everyone on the same page and comfortable with each other.
LET'S GO HOKIES!
Comments
Sunday is January 7, btw.
Being retired and spending three days driving to Florida can cause you to lose track of the calendar. I should get back on schedule by next week.
We've beaten everyone we're supposed to, but we're still searching for that big regular season win after missing chances against Iowa and LSU. Hopefully fortunes are on our side this game
I'm still trying to figure out why Wenzel (#1) isnt playing as much and when she does play, it's firing it whenever she see's the hoop. She's at like 60% from 3 so far and her shooting form is pristine. She's gonna be a great player for us down the years no doubt, but if we're gonna take the next step THIS year, we need an 'other' to start shining
She's still a touch slow in terms of game speed at times I think. She throws about one guaranteed turnover a game right now where she telegraphs a pass or is late swinging it around to an open player, and she doesn't have the quick trigger yet on her shot like Georgia/Cayla/Matilda have. I think she's eaten into Cayla's minutes a bit this winter but don't expect she starts getting 20+ a game until she fully adjusts to game speed night in and out.
It's a chicken or the egg concept tho, how can you adjust to high end game speed unless you get lots of playing time in high end game speed xD
Also, let's not forget her first play as a Hokie in a big game was blocking Caitlin Clark
I am really pissed off they scheduled this for a NOON game. I am going to probably miss the entire first quarter trying to get over and park after church.
Get that ecumenical etch-a-sketch before uttering such profanities to terrify the preacher
Priorities, man, priorities!
Well some other season ticket holders got up right before the preacher started to speak. We left as soon as he stopped before the final hymns and prayers. Got there about a minute after they started.
Well done.
Leaving in about an hour and heading down with my daughters. Super excited, hopefully the game goes our way!
Huge game today, lets go!
Great crowd!
The team from the 2nd half against Wake has shown up today. Missing open shots, not picking up players in defensive transition, and now a sloppy turnover. Not a good start, especially since we're the home team.
Shots not falling and alot of mental errors. Can't afford the taking one or two quarters off
3s are falling for NCS......
Keep leaving them wide open on the perimeter...ugly
Defense keeps getting drawn into the lane. Can't have that in woman to woman D
Now looks like we switched to a two three zone. Not sure that's the best idea with their slashers
Wow that was just bad all around. Honestly lucky to not be down 15
Why didn't Kenny challenge that? Pretty clear Amoore shot was tipped
looked like king may have touched it trying to save anyway
Is it me or do they just look tired outside of Amoore and Baker? Even those two are making alot of small mistakes
Not looking good. We're missing easy shots. And we have not been able to capitalize with two NCState starters out.
Three double digit scorers counting the injured one on the bench missed most of the first half
Considering how poorly Amoore is shooting, to be down just 3 at the half is incredible.
I swear man people are 10x more negative about our women's team than our men's or football sometimes. (The TSL women's bball board is terrible my god).
We're down 3 to the third best team in the country while shooting terribly. Still good shot in this one.
I wouldn't say that there's a lot of negativity at least on these boards, but for that that is, it's probably due to having loftier expectations.
You're ridge. We're in a close fight with no foul trouble and one of our leading scorers is unusually errant.
Meanwhile, they have two in foul trouble.
I think we're in a good spot.
There aren't nearly the number of people commenting and while you view it as negativity most of my comments are based in what I know they are capable of which hasn't been something you could say about football or men's basketball much.
Sorry this wasn't really directed at you/this board.
TSL is a cesspool of negativity
Cmon ladies......let's go on a run here....
We look tired and sluggish on defense. Leaving shooters open. When we try to challenge the shooters, we're letting them dribble past us. Not moving our feet well at all. Allowing penetration to get too close to the basket. When help engages, we're getting burned by the back cuts. The zone has also impacted our defensive rebounding. The offense needs to heat up big time to give us a chance to win this. Have to start making open shoots and some contested ones. NC State is really good, but we are a better team than we showed Thursday night and for most of the game today. It's time to show it!
37% from the floor so far. 17-45
They have certainly turns around the effort now. Will it be enough?! And can they sustain that effort and intensity over the final 4 minutes. State's coach is a good one. He will certainly make some adjustments to counter what we've been doing.
Double Double for Kitley
We can't win with 5 of 15 from three.
Especially when on other end they are 8-21 with six of those wide open looks.
C'mon ladies! You got this!
We've also missed 5 or 6 open layups.
Come on ladies, finish strong like we know you can!
Those were only our third and fourth free throw attempts in the game
Joined in the 4th. Crazy to hear those were Kitley's first FTs.
Why did she shoot with 7?
Said the exact same thing
That shot at end of the shot clock drops it below 3 sec
Three timeouts in a row??
Letting in a layup....smdh
why didn't they foul her. 2 to give.
Another huge mental error
Crap.
going to be an interesting finish
how do you not foul her?? How do you not spend 3 timeouts telling your players to foul to kill time
WHAT A PLAY
holy crap!!!
fam
DAGGER..
WHAT A FINISH!
HOLY SHIIIIIIIIT
Isn't that how we beat them last year too?
Wow, just wow.
WHAT A SHOT!!!
watching this game is now in the medical dictionary as a symptom of a heart attack
Try having been there.
I can see the E$PN headline now: ACC underperforms with loss of marquee NCSU team
"Va. Tech stuns NC State on last-second layup"
Unbelievable finish! Go Hokies!
We can be sooooo good. Just need a little more consistent focus.
Very happy she made that game winner, but there are so many times when Kitley just does not show mental/physical toughness in big moments in big games.
She has GOT to cut off the baseline right there. That is a basic fundamental. Need her to get a little tougher/aggressive if we're going to make a deep run.
We need a gifitory!
Great block by Amoore to take out Kitley's defender.
Showed a lot of fight to come back! What a great play and a badass shot for the win! LET'S GO!!
Also, we pressed them on their last inbounds. Take notes Coach Young.
Wish he would.Brooks usually much better about the little things
HOLY SHIT LETS GO
HOKIES!