NC State wants to be the best, so it scheduled the No. 1 Gamecocks. Next up: Winning
Wes Moore says there are only a few women’s basketball programs in the country that can claim to be elite.
South Carolina, the No. 1 in the nation, sits high on the throne.
Moore wants his N.C. State team to be in that conversation and he knows there’s only one way to get there. To quote legendary wrestler Ric Flair: “To be the man, you have to beat the man.”
That’s why Moore is taking his team to Columbia for a showdown with the Gamecocks. The No. 8 Wolfpack (2-0) will soon find out if they are worthy to be in the conversation or still on the outside looking in when they face South Carolina (3-0) on Thursday (7 p.m., ESPN2).
It’s the type of prime-time match up that Moore sought out when he was making the schedule. N.C. State opted out of a tournament in Florida and was then left without a game when it was announced that the ACC/Big 10 Challenge was called off. Moore needed a game, and called the top team in the land, a short five-hour bus trip away, for the ultimate measuring stick.
Coming off their first ACC tournament title since 1991, N.C. State entered the season ranked in the top 10. Since Moore took over in 2013-14, the team has reached new heights each year, including consecutive trips to the Sweet 16, capped off by the tournament title a year ago. The program has earned national recognition, but in order to be in that conversation as one of the best, teams have to play these types of games against a worthy opponent like the Gamecocks, winners of 29-straight games dating back to last season.
“It’s a great opportunity, it’s a big challenge,” Moore said. “They are going to show you all your weaknesses, they are going to exploit everything you need to get better at. It’s an opportunity to measure yourself and see where you are.”
N.C. State is 2-17 all-time versus No. 1 teams. The Wolfpack leads the series with the Gamecocks, 19-11, and N.C. State won the last meeting in Reynolds, 55-53, in 2011. Thursday’s match up will be the first time since the 1980-81 season that both teams are ranked in the top 10. The two teams have played each other 10 times when both schools were ranked.
Moore’s N.C. State teams have defeated 20 ranked opponents, with 13 of those wins coming in the last four seasons. This will be the first time, though, Moore has faced a No. 1 team. The highest-ranked team the Wolfpack defeated under him was No. 2 Notre Dame in 2016.
It’s not lost on the players on how big of a stage this is.
“I’m pretty excited,” Wolfpack center Elissa Cunane said. “I’m just ready for the challenge, playing against the top people in the country. I’m really excited about my personal growth coming out of the game.”
Cunane, the starting center for N.C. State will be in a premier head-to-head match up with South Carolina center Aliyah Boston, the National Freshman of the Year last season. Boston has averaged 11.3 points and 8.3 rebounds this season. Cunane is right at 14.5 ppg and 4.5 rebounds. Already recognized as one of the best centers in the ACC, a good showing in this head-to-head could spring Cunane into more Player of the Year conversations. From a team perspective, a strong showing from the Pack would be a good look for the ACC as well.
“With it being a big stage, we are playing South Carolina and they are a great team,” senior guard Kai Crutchfield said. “I believe we are a great team too, we just have to execute on offense and defense.”
A win over South Carolina would take N.C. State’s program to that next level.
“South Carolina and probably one or two other schools are considered elite right now,” Moore said. “You’d love to be able to break into that. Again, you have to play these people to have a chance to get in that conversation. We know how well we have to play to have a chance, but, again, you don’t have a chance unless you go play it.”
N.C. STATE at SOUTH CAROLINA
▪ THURSDAY, 7 p.m.
▪ ESPN2