NC State women's basketball signs elite recruiting class
After months of hard work on the recruiting trail, head coach Wes Moore and NC State women’s basketball have inked one of the nation’s top recruiting classes . Five-star guard Zoe Brooks, four-star forward Maddie Cox, four-star guard Laci Steele and four-star center Mallory Collier all signed their national letters of intent Wednesday, Npv. 9, making their commitments to NC State official.
Each of the four Wolfpack signees are top-75 recruits according to ESPN’s women’s basketball class of 2023 prospect rankings. Brooks, a five-star guard, is the headliner of that group. The No. 9 recruit in the nation committed to NC State during the summer as a four-star prospect but, after a great summer, is now ranked as a top-10 recruit.
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“Zoe is a combo guard who can run the show at point and break the defense down while also scoring the ball at all those levels,” Moore said in a Wednesday afternoon press release. “She makes everyone around her better with a high school state championship to prove it.”
Brooks also held offers from South Carolina and North Carolina, choosing the Pack over Miami and Boston College. The 5-10 guard from New Jersey was a junior MaxPreps All-American and led Plainfield (N.J.) St. John Vianney High to a 32-1 record behind her 13.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.
“I love winning. I only lost one game as a freshman, one as a sophomore and one as a junior so far in high school,” Brooks told NJ.com after committing to NC State. “When I was younger playing for the New Jersey Sparks and in middle school at Holy Savior Academy, we did a whole lot of winning, too. The same thing with Philly Rise AAU right now.
“I wanted to go to a program with a history of success, a coach that plays a lot of guards and doesn’t hold them back and a team that competes on the national stage.
“That’s why I chose St. John Vianney last summer, and why I chose North Carolina State now.”
Collier is the second-highest ranked recruit in the 2023 class, checking in at No. 55. The 6-3 center from Tennessee averaged 13.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1 block during her junior year at Bartlett High, the Wolfpack’s press release said. She was also the first commit of NC State’s 2023 class, announcing her decision March 18. Alabama, UNC, LSU and many others also offered Collier scholarships.
“Mallory is a strong interior player who moves and scores well around the basket,” Moore said. “She’s capable of being a force on the boards. She can also score from the mid-range with the jumper or by getting to the rim. She too comes from a very successful high school team.”
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Steele, ESPN’s No. 56 senior, is another tall addition to NC State’s backcourt, checking in at 5-11. She is coming off of a state championship season with Edmond North High in Oklahoma. Moore is excited about her ability to shoot and contribute in a variety of ways on the court. She chose the Wolfpack over USC, Northwestern, Georgia Tech and Texas A&M.
“Laci does a lot of things well that lead to winning,” Moore said. “She’s a knock-down shooter from three-point range who also has the toughness to score in traffic. She has the handle to push tempo and set up her teammates and the competitive spirit to be a lockdown defender. Laci has the heart of a champion, validated with a state championship as well.”
Cox is Steele’s AAU teammate and committed to the Wolfpack soon after the guard. The duo will team up once again at the collegiate level next year, and ESPN considers Cox the No. 71 prospect nationally. The 6-2 forward from Flower Mound High in Texas led her team in points, rebounds and assists during her junior season, according to NC State’s press release.
“Maddie is a versatile player who can fill up a stat sheet,” Moore said. “She has the length and physicality to go inside and be a factor on both ends of the court, but also has the athleticism and skill set to be effective on the perimeter by hitting threes or dishing out assists.”
Moore took a national approach to this cycle’s recruiting class, and none of the four signees are from North Carolina. ESPN ranked NC State’s class No. 5 in the nation, just behind Stanford. The Wolfpack secured the highest-ranked recruiting class in the ACC according to ESPN.
