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Notebook: NC State women's hoops taking lofty ranking in stride

NC State women's basketball is basking in the excitement of being No. 4 nationally in the latest The Associated Press poll, but it is also trying to put the lofty ranking in perspective.

NCSU (22-1 overall, 11-1 ACC) hasn’t been this high in the polls since it was No. 3 on Jan. 10, 2000. Further adding excitement is No. 9-ranked Louisville (21-3 overall, 10-2 ACC) coming to town Thursday night for the lone regular season meeting. NC State topped then No. 9 Maryland on Dec. 5, and No. 13 Florida State on Jan. 16 in its previous games against ranked opponents. Both those contests were also played at historic Reynolds Coliseum.

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NC State senior guard Aislinn Konig is averaging 11.1 points and 3.6 assists per game this season.
NC State senior guard Aislinn Konig is averaging 11.1 points and 3.6 assists per game this season. (The Associated Press)

“We don’t talk a lot about stuff like that,” said NCSU head coach Wes Moore about the ranking. “I’m happy for them and they are getting recognition. That’s all good.

“If they said these four teams are going to the Final Four, I’d really be celebrating right now.”

Senior guard Aislinn Konig added that while Moore won’t let the team get hung up on rankings, she’d have to live in a cave to not hear about it each week.

“We are definitely aware of it, but he doesn’t let it get to our heads,” said Konig, who is averaging 11.1 points per game. “Rankings are awesome, but it doesn’t make a difference until everything is over and done with.”

Six regular season games remain for the Wolfpack, who are aiming for an ACC regular season title for the first time since 1990. NC State hasn’t won an ACC Tournament title since 1991.

A win over Louisville would put NC State firmly in the driver's seat for taking the top seed this year in the conference.

“I told them yesterday that they don’t hand out trophies in February,” Moore said. “We want to clean some stuff up, and that is our focus — one game at a time and boring coaching talk.”

Moore was at NC State as an assistant coach from 1993-95 before becoming a head coach at Francis Marion from 1995-98 and then his successful stint at Tennessee-Chattanooga from 1998-2013. He has enjoyed seeing the renaissance of NC State women’s basketball. The Wolfpack have won at least 22 games in five of Moore’s seven season’s in Raleigh.

“I really am a nostalgic person,” Moore said. “You come here and see Kay Yow Court and Jim Valvano Arena, and those sorts of things, it really is humbling.

“To think you are on the same sideline as Norm Sloan and all that, it’s an honor.”

NC State has been averaging 3,892 fans per game this season at Reynolds Coliseum, going 12-0 at home.

“We’ve sold out our last game, and I know Sunday’s game is sold out,” Moore said. “Sometimes these Thursday night games with an 8 p.m. tip is a little bit harder. I think we are really close on this game as well.”

Louisville Has Won Last Five Meetings Against NC State

Louisville has suffered back-to-back ACC losses, falling 59-51 at Syracuse on Feb. 9, and 67-59 against Florida State at home Feb. 6. Junior guard Dana Evans leads the way at 18.5 points per game and 41.7 percent on three-pointers. She’s joined by senior wing Jazmine Jones, who is averaging 13.9 points a contest. Senior center Kylee Shook, who is 6-4, anchors the middle with 9.1 points, 7.7 rebound and 2.6 blocks per game.

The Cardinals are forcing 16.6 turnovers per game under head coach Jeff Walz.

“I am concerned about turnovers, and we’ve had too many turnovers,” Moore said. “This is a team that will press you, so I’m concerned about that.”

NC State lost 78-68 to Louisville in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C., on March 9, 2019 in the last meeting between the programs. UL holds a 7-3 edge in the series, including five consecutive wins.

Moore vividly remembers the Cardinals scoring 28 points off 17 NCSU turnovers and getting 12 second-chance points off 11 offensive rebounds last year in Greensboro.

“We know this is going to be a great challenge,” Moore said. “Louisville has been there. They’ve done it the last few years. We are kind of the new kid on the block trying to nose our way in.”

Konig is one of three returning starters from the last meeting with Louisville. Sophomore center Elissa Cunane and junior guard Kai Crutchfield combined for 37 points and 10 boards in the meeting.

“It has always been a really good game against Louisville, and they are a fantastic team,” Konig said. “They are really well coached with a lot of talent.”

New Doors Opening For Wolfpack

NC State is ranked a spot ahead of Connecticut and 21 spots ahead of Tennessee, who is coached by Kellie Harper, Moore's predecessor in Raleigh. Those two colleges have a combined 19 NCAA titles.

The sport of college women's basketball is starting to open up. Seventeen different colleges have landed players from this year’s McDonald’s All-American squad, with Oregon leading the way at five.

NC State signed freshman wing Jakia Brown-Turner from the 2019 McDonald’s Game, and Moore is hoping additional high-profile recruits will be receptive to his staff’s phone calls.

“There is a lot of parity,” Moore said. “We still have a ways to get it turned around to the point we are in that Final Four, national championship conversation on a consistent basis.

“You hope it does open some doors for you, definitely.”

Konig picked NC State over Stanford coming out of Surry, British Columbia, which is near Vancouver. She’s proud to show that the next wave of recruits can win big at NC State.

“There has been a rich legacy of women’s basketball in this arena,” Konig said. “It’s amazing to bring it back.”

At some point, Moore will likely sit down and relax at home, reflecting about what he’s accomplished at NC State. It just won’t be anytime soon.

“I can’t fully enjoy it yet,” Moore said. “We have an opportunity. I told the team the other day that they put us in a good position. We are trying to get into a great position.”

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