NC State women land in Texas, ready for the unexpected
Speaking to the media after the NCAA Women’s Tournament Selection Show that revealed NC State is a No. 1 seed, head coach Wes Moore ended his opening statement by saying he just hopes his team can “stay negative.”
Say what?
“First team I’ve ever coached and I want them to be negative,” Moore said. “Hopefully we can stay negative for a little bit longer and get ready to play.”
Such is the COVID-talk that’s replaced normal coach speak in 2021. Moore wasn’t talking about his team’s attitude or approach when he used the term “negative.” Staying negative means the continued streak of COVID-19 test results for N.C. State (20-2), which opens play Sunday at 4 p.m. against 16th-seeded N.C. A&T (14-2).
The Pack landed in Texas on Tuesday afternoon and the daily routine of an unusual 2021 tournament began. All teams will be tested daily and have to quarantine in their rooms for the first 24 hours they are in town. Like the other teams in the tournament, the Wolfpack will be limited in their movements around town — hotel, practice, games. That’s it. No sightseeing. No Alamo or River Walk.
Test, basketball, room, repeat.
“I am gonna miss being able to go down the River Walk and give me a nice enchilada taco dinner and all that maybe some brisket,” Moore, a Texas native, said. “But hey, we’ll save that for another time.”
More than basketball
The tournament, and who can last the longest, will be a test of physical abilities on the court as well as mental toughness and health and wellness off of it.
Last week in Greensboro two teams — Virginia and Duke — had to bow out of the ACC men’s tournament early because of a positive COVID test. N.C. State won the ACC women’s tournament the previous week, an event that went off without any COVID hitches. Moore doesn’t want his team’s season to end because of something that had nothing to do with basketball.
The Wolfpack isn’t immune to the pandemic. The team had a weeklong pause in January. ACC Tournament MVP, Elissa Cunane, missed those two games while in COVID protocol.
There’s an even smaller room for error in San Antonio, where it’s win or go home, but Moore hopes the experience in Greensboro, similar to what they will experience in Texas, helps.
“This whole year has been about adjusting and staying flexible and all those things,” Moore said. “So I don’t think it’s any different.”
The team will travel with academic advisors and continue study hall on the road, Moore told the media, and try to find plenty to do in the hotel to keep them busy when they aren’t on the practice floor.
Unlike other tournament trips, the women won’t be able to take in other games, forced to stay around each other until game time. Moore doesn’t anticipate that being an issue with this group.
“If you’re going to be isolated,” Moore said. “You might as well do it with a great group of young ladies who are your teammates.”
No home court advantage
If this were a normal season, the Wolfpack would host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament at Reynolds Coliseum, before moving to a neutral site for the Sweet 16 round.
N.C. State played hosts to the opening rounds in 2018 and 2019, advancing to the Sweet 16 each time. They hosted A&T in Reynolds last season in non-conference play, defeating the Aggies, 80-44.
The opening round this year will be played at one of five different sites in the San Antonio area. Moore feels like that evens the playing field for the first rounds.
“Everyone is kind of on an equal slate,” Moore said. “We’re not playing on our home court now. So you know, that takes away a little bit of an edge that your top 16 seeds have so we better be ready to play.”
N.C. State is 9-0 against N.C. A&T all-time, and the two teams have only met on a neutral floor once, in 1979, the first meeting. When he met with the media, moments after the Selection Show, Moore obviously hadn’t looked at any film on the Aggies yet. But since there is plenty of time before the game, Moore will have endless opportunities to scout.
“We’re going to be locked in our hotel room for at least 24 hours,” Moore said. “So we’re going to have time to get a lot of stuff done when we get down to San Antonio.”
