Wolf in waiting: NC State recruit Adelaide Jernigan’s strong work ethic fuels success

In her first basketball camp at Bishop McGuinness High School, Adelaide Jernigan wasn’t just there to play — she was there to prove herself.

Villains coach Brian Robinson recalls how she shooed her father out the door — ”Leave, Dad! Bye!” — found an empty basket, and went straight into a shooting progression.

She was in third grade at the time.

“I was like, ‘Why are no other girls coming next to me?’” Jernigan said with a laugh. “But now that I’m thinking about it, I was really sweating in my warmup.”

Her focus hasn’t wavered. Standing 5 feet, 11 inches, the senior at Bishop McGuinness in Kernersville has grown into one of the top high school basketball players in the country. A two-time state champion and three-time all-state pick, she signed to play basketball at N.C. State in November, choosing the Wolfpack over Michigan and Kentucky.

And at the 2024 John Wall Invitational, Jernigan gave a preview of what she’ll be bringing to N.C. State next year — an ability to score at all three levels and stretch a defense. Jernigan finished with 23 points, three assists and three rebounds as the Villains took down Fairmont High School, 54-41. Junior point guard Claire Sullivan added 13 points on three triples.

“The work she has put in the past few years makes her more college-ready than the average freshman,” Moore said of Jernigan in a statement, “and I know that same work ethic will continue to raise her game and make us better.”

Jernigan finds her range

N.C. State recruited Jernigan from her eighth-grade season, and that bond only grew stronger over time.

“Watching them practice, I could see the joy in their faces, how much those girls love being together and playing for [Moore],” Jernigan said. “He put a team together that was really strong, and they just have great chemistry.”

Watching the Wolfpack’s journey from unranked to the Final Four during her junior year left an impression. While visiting other schools, Jernigan’s mind drifted to Raleigh and the opportunity to play in front of her friends and family.

“It just felt so right, and my gut was just telling me that,” she said.

Jernigan said she’s talked frequently with Moore about her ability to make an immediate impact — especially with key guards like Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James graduating.

To prepare, the senior has been working on her shooting range, taking more shots from two or three feet behind the college 3-point line. On Friday at the John Wall Invitational, she showed off that extended range with a pair of triples from well behind the arc.

“She has really evolved as a basketball player,” Robinson said. “She’s becoming a better rebounder, her passing is a lot sharper. Her defense is improving, and she’s becoming a well-rounded player. So she’s doing a lot more than just shooting the basketball.”

Getting physical

It was at a U-17 USA Basketball tryout as a 15-year-old, competing against future college stars in USC’s JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, that Jernigan realized the physicality required at the next level.

As one of four freshmen invited, and weighing less than 120 pounds, Jernigan was competitive but limited by her “scrawny” build.

“Once I came back from that, I realized, ‘I gotta get in the gym,’” Jernigan said. “‘I have to lift.’”

Jernigan has added more than 30 pounds since her freshman year, including more than 11 pounds of muscle since March alone. Her transformation is the result of a rigorous nutrition plan and consistent weight training, with up to four or five sessions per week during the summer.

“I will watch [old] videos of myself and my shoulders — they just don’t look anything like they used to,” she said.

Jernigan said she can feel the difference in her game when competing for rebounds and driving to the rim.

Her improved physicality was on full display Friday.

When Fairmont began to claw back late in the game, Jernigan posted up. The guard received the ball and backed down her defender on two straight possessions, helping the Villains close out the win.

“That was just a big thing — getting stronger and making sure that I’ll have balance when I go into the lane,” Jernigan said. “It’s aggressive in there and so you have to bring that energy to put the ball up with the right spin.”

Looking forward

Jernigan’s senior campaign has already been full of milestones.

On Dec. 13, she became Bishop McGuinness’ all-time leader in 3-pointers, and the following night, she set the Villains’ all-time scoring record with 1,692 points after a 29-point performance.

Last year, Jernigan’s season was interrupted when she sprained her left knee just two minutes into the HAECO Invitational, sidelining her for eight games and forcing her to miss the 2023 John Wall Invitational.

Now fully healthy, she helped the Villains reclaim the HAECO Invitational crown last week (going 12 for 25 on her way to 34 points) and led her team to a win in the John Wall. Looking ahead, Bishop McGuinness is focused on winning the Northwest Piedmont 1-A conference title and making another deep run in the NCHSAA 1A state tournament after a fourth-round loss last season.

If she’s successful, Jernigan will have a chance to re-create one of her favorite high school memories — capturing a state title at Reynolds Coliseum.

“That’s the best joy,” she said. “Running onto the court and jumping into your teammates’ arms and saying, ‘We did that.’”