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NC State freshmen are improving and adapting to college basketball

On3 imageby:Ethan McDowell•11/15/23•

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(Photo courtesy of NC State athletics)

NC State played up to four scholarship freshmen at the same time during its 90-35 win over Elon Wednesday night. After signing a quartet of top-100 recruits, they all arrived on campus and earned roles in the rotation.

At times, the first-year Wolfpack athletes are playing by necessity. NC State only returned 5 players from the 2022-2023 squad and brought in 2 transfers, so each freshmen is going to have to log minutes in critical situations this year.

Through its first few games, the former elite recruits are steadily improving and showing why head coach Wes Moore trusts them on the court.

Former five-star point guard Zoe Brooks leads the charge, coming off the bench to play 27.5 minutes per game. She is making an instant impact, commanding the offense and spelling Saniya Rivers at point guard. Brooks scored 12 points against both Charlotte and UConn.

After scoring 7 points, grabbing 7 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists against Elon, she explained her personal adjustments to the college level.

“The game is definitely a lot faster, and it’s more of every possession counts but, every day, I feel like I’m getting better, and every game is a different competition,” Brooks said.

Guard Laci Steele echoed a similar sentiment. She played the best game of her young career Wednesday night, scoring 8 points and grabbing 2 rebounds. Center Mallory Collier added 6 points and 3 boards, while forward Maddie Cox paced the team with 9 rebounds and 6 points.

The improvement for this group starts in practice. Both Steele and Brooks said they are taking consistent steps forward since arriving on campus. Moore asks a lot of his players, and that absolutely extends to the freshmen. Steele appreciates his approach.

“He’s a tough coach,” Steele said. “I feel like I’m really getting better at practice every day. He never lets really anything go, but that’s good. That’s what you want in a coach.”

Brooks said that standard is helping her improve daily on both ends of the court. Both guards said they made defensive strides this year, and Steele added she is working on releasing her shot faster.

In addition to Moore’s coaching, NC State’s returning players are helping the freshmen prepare for this level.

“They’re great leaders,” Brooks said. “I look up to all of them, and they’re a good example for me and what I want to be when I am their age one day.”

The Wolfpack freshmen also took in their first impression of a sold out Reynolds Coliseum against UConn earlier this week. It lived up to their expectations.

“It’s nothing like I’ve ever seen before, played for, I loved it,” Steele said. “It was amazing.”

Brooks, Steele, Collier and Cox were all star players for their respective high school squads and are now coming off of the bench in important roles this season. Moore wants them to remain aggressive while recognizing the talent around them.

“We need them to just continue to grow,” Moore said. “We’re going to need them, so they’re going to have to quit making the same mistakes, keep getting better.”

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