Who says you can’t go home again.
Welcome to The Wolfpack Central, but history has shown that the name that matters most is NC State Rivals. Coaches, recruits and fans, all know the brand name after its inception. I, Jacey Zembal, will usher in the next chapter for the site. Fans aren’t crazy about change in the media, so hopefully the changes are subtle, some of which I’ll need your help with.
The main new habits will include the football message board now called “Hands In The Dirt,” which is what the Wolfpack pride themselves on, which was uttered by coach Dave Doeren after defeating North Carolina 35-7 on Nov. 29, 2014.
The new basketball board will be called “1974 & 1983” for obvious reasons. If someone doesn’t know what those two years means in NC State basketball lore, they probably won’t be on that board.
Some other housekeeping — new Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages to follow:
Follow on Twitter:
@NCStateRivals or @JaceyZembal
Subscribe for free on YouTube:
For Jacey Zembal or The Wolfpack Central
Like on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/TheWolfpackCentral
For those who have no clue who I am, I was a writer for NC State Rivals from June 2007 until April 2020, winning the Rivals.com team site MVP in 2013. I have been out of action for the last 18 months due to Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Some in my life prefer that I don’t say I lost everything because I didn’t pass away and I survived. There was some bleak moments, especially dealing with my situation during a pandemic, but I am piecing my life back together. Some individuals read along on The Caring Bridge web site.
There are a few things I haven’t shared yet, and that time will come down the road. I appreciate everyone at Duke Hospital, and will stop by with donuts and cookies for the nurses every so often. I ended up staying there for 134 days or so, and usually have labs once a month to make sure everything continues to be good. My health is good and I usually walk the dogs at least 2-3 miles a day.
The comeback story began in earnest mid-summer, but obviously not having a full-time job was problematic. My outlet became Twitter and YouTube. Then the stars aligned ideally and here I am, right where I always wanted to be. I am with the readers and subscribers that know me best and have supported me in this journey over the last 18 months. I might have grown up in the Chicago suburbs and attended Illinois, but after 14 years-plus, Raleigh is home and hopefully will remain that way.
Will I have some rust? A little, but nothing that won’t get solved over the next six months. Anyone who has viewed my past recruiting and team coverage knows my passion. A lot has changed in the last 18 months, with new assistant coaches at NC State, new high schools that have emerged with numerous Division I prospects and there is a shift where the Charlotte area is loaded with prep football and basketball targets.
My football recruiting coverage began in earnest in early August, and I’ve seen a mixture of commits, targets and future targets. I’ve also seen NC State coach Dave Doeren out on the trail a few times. Even as recently as Sunday, the opportunity to interview up to 30 prep football prospects came about in Weddington, N.C., thanks to that simple dynamic — the Rivals.com brand name.
Catching up in hoops will probably take another two months and that is fine. For the first time in 14 years, seeing players is a new and fresh experience. When I first arrived in 2007, it was a similar dynamic. It was fun going around the state and seeing then sophomores C.J. Leslie, Reggie Bullock, Tashawn Mabry, Jarrell Eddie (plus Ryan Harrow), J.T. Terrell, Reco McCarter, Melvin Tabb and even getting a VHS tape of Jay Canty, among others.
The irony is that the class I am already way ahead of schedule with is 2025. Between the CP3 Rising Stars Camp on Aug. 21-22 and the Phenom Hoop Report North Carolina Top 80 Camp on Oct. 17, I’ve probably seen the majority of the top freshman in the state. I got to see Rick Lewis for the first time in 18 months, another reminder of my journey. Standing and filming for 7 1/2 hours straight was a good indicator that I “was back” during CP3 Rising Stars Camp. Power forward Zymicah Wilkins of Rutherfordton-Spindale High in Rutherfordton, N.C. (way out west), is the clubhouse leader for top player in 2025 class. I have my hit list of who I want to see in the state and there are some major events on the horizon where I can see them.
The other advantage includes two individuals I know well, but one I haven’t formally worked with. Having Jamie Shaw in basketball recruiting and Adam Friedman in football recruiting is a terrific one-two punch for The Wolfpack Central. It is kind of scary what can be achieved in basketball recruiting with Shaw and I on the same side for the first time. The amount of time and miles driven by Shaw is astonishing.
I’m sure I’ll answer a ton of questions on the message boards over the next few weeks. For anyone who has friends, who are pondering getting a subscription, now is as good a time as any. With college football, college basketball, high school football and high school basketball all overlapping, I could use some clones in covering it all.
In terms of content, I hope people will enjoy premium recruiting coverage. It might not get the page view numbers, since it’s premium, but it’s the foundation Rivals.com has been built on. It’s what I have enjoyed doing most and now am in a position where I can share whatever I have gleaned. The old favorites are always stand-by’s. For the non-newish subscribers, my background is well-rounded, and we’ll still have some occasional podcasts, videos of recruits and press conferences. Hopefully, the Zoom era of interviews will end (apparently it is in basketball).
One last thing, please wear a seat belt in whatever part of the car you are sitting in. I hope most have been following James and Jackson Giglio, the sons of Joe Giglio (99.9 FM) and Jessaca Giglio (Raleigh News & Observer) over the last few weeks. I am so glad that they didn’t have to be in the hospital long like me, following their car crash. It’s a special family that inspired me during my journey.
