NC State Basketball
#12 NC State Handles Business Against Wake, Defeating Deacs 75-57 in Regular Season Finale
The 12th ranked NC State Women’s Basketball team closed out the 2023-24 regular season by beating Wake Forest 75-57 yesterday afternoon. The Wolfpack finished the regular season with a 25-5 overall record, with a 13-5 conference record. With the victory, NC State locked up the #2 seed in this weeks ACC Tournament. The Wolfpack’s first game will be on Friday at 5pm.
Yesterday was Senior Day, and the Wolfpack honored Center River Baldwin, Forward Mimi Collins and Guard Madison Hayes (who also announced she would be returning for her final year of eligibility). Baldwin had 13 points, shooting 5 of 9 from the field. Collins finished with 18 points, and a team high 9 boards. She was 4 of 8 from three, marking the most three’s she has hit in a game all season.
Junior Guard Saniya Rivers led the Pack with 23 points, 4 assists, 3 blocks and 4 steals. Rivers was 8 of 12 from the field, and 2 of 2 from beyond the arc. She finished the season scoring 20+ points in the final two games.
Junior Guard Aziaha James had 12 points (4-12 FG) and 7 boards.
With 8:21 left in the 4th Quarter, Wake Forest led 50-48. The Wolfpack proceeded in the final 7:46 to go on a 27-7 run to close out the contest.
According to reports, NC State is adding UMASS’ Brett Nelson as an Assistant Coach.
Sources: Brett Nelson is leaving UMass to join Kevin Keatts’ staff at NC State as an assistant.
Matt Figger — who worked for Frank Martin at both South Carolina and Kansas State — will replace Nelson in Amherst.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 15, 2024
Nelson was only at UMASS for 1 season under Frank Martin. Prior to that, Nelson was the Head Coach at Holy Cross for 4 seasons, posting a 27-84 record.
Prior to taking the Head Coaching mantle at Holy Cross, Nelson was at Marquette for 5 seasons, spending the first 3 as an Assistant Coach, and the final two as an Associate Head Coach. Prior to Marquette, Nelson also served as an Assistant Coach at Ball St., Drake, Arkansas and Marshall.
Before coaching basketball, Nelson played for the University of Florida from 1999-2003. He was All-SEC twice, and earned Third Team All-American honors. When he left Gainesville, he was the Gators’ all-time leader in three pointers made, and ranked 2nd in steals.
As a Senior in High School, Nelson was a McDonald’s All-American.
Power Forward Ernest Ross announced this morning that he is returning to NC State for his final year of eligibility.
View this post on Instagram
Last Friday, Ross committed to UTSA after entering the Transfer Portal on April 17th, but it looks like he had a change of heart over the past couple of days.
NC State has been in desperate need to add a Big out of the Portal. They have hosted ECU’s Ezra Ausar and Georgia’s Frank Anselem-Ibe, but neither of them have found a home yet. With the addition of Ross, NC State has added depth in the Frontcourt, and unless something changes, their roster is full with 13 scholarship players.
Ross played in 14 games this past season, averaging 3.4 minutes per contest. After playing in 34 games last season, averaging 11.4 minutes per contest, Ross saw his participation dip to a career low this season, but that didn’t for a second break his infectious personality. On the sideline, you could count on Ross every single game to be the heart and soul of the Wolfpack on the bench. To watch a player who played as little as he did, care as much as he did, makes me super proud that this young man represented NC State so well.
Ross was a consensus 4-star player in NC State’s 2021 recruiting class, with 247Sports ranking him as the #60 overall player nationally. ESPN ranked him as the #5 overall player in the state of Florida.
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