Lady Wolfpack need two, get none

Unfortunately, our women’s basketball team lost a first round ACC Tourney game against Clemson in overtime. (Last week we crushed the tigers at their house by 32!)

As CSTV reports, “It looks like it will be the WNIT or nothing for Kay Yow and NC State.”

Still, Wolfpack Nation takes great pride in the example Kay Yow sets each season she continues to take the court sidelines and lead a team of exemplary young women.

So Coach Yow, we don’t care what tournament you go to, you’re a true Champion every season.

Credit where credit is due

We State fans are mourning a lackluster football season and a downright pathetic basketball season. So let’s focus on the positive. That would be the star of the women’s basketball team, Khadijah Whittington.

UNC’s best player and an ACC POTY candidate says of Whittington:

“I just have to go out and play well every night because I know that post players like Tina Charles (of Connecticut) and Nicky Anosike (of Tennessee) and those people, they will prepare you for a player like Khadijah Whittington. She’s giving it all she has for 40 minutes. She has a pad everywhere just like me. So it’s like, okay, hey, the least we can do is beat each other up and whoever comes out with the most scars will probably win the game.”

Whittington is the only player in Division I women’s basketball this year to earn at least 450 points, 300 rebounds, 70 steals and 40 blocks. She leads the ACC in rebounds and averages 17.2 points and 11.3 boards a game.

GoPack.com states of Whittington:
- only the second player in league history to lead the ACC back-to-back years in rebounding
- one of three players in ACC history to compile 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, 200 steals and 100 blocks in a career.
- among only 17 ACC players with 1,000 career rebounds.
- Consistency: 27 double-figure scoring games, 19 double-doubles and shot at least 50-percent from the field in 20 of 29 games this season.
- NCSU records: 14th all-time in scoring (1,420), 2nd in rebounds (1,093), fifth in blocks (140) and sixth in steals (228), fifth in double-doubles (38)
- ACC ranks: leads in rebounding and defensive rebounds, third in scoring, third in offensive rebounds, fourth in minutes, sixth in steals, sixth in blocks and eighth in FG%

Maybe the most remarkable thing she has provided to fans over the years has been her resiliency to come back from nagging injuries. Whether it was an elbow to the face or a sprained knee, Whittington has never missed a game in her four-year career and Thursday’s first round game at Clemson will be her 125th game with the Pack.

So, today, TSW and all of Wolfpack Nation tip our hats to Khadijah Whittington, who argueably had one of the best women’s basketball career in the school history.

*I think the best players in school history are Susan Yow, Genia Beasley, Andrea Stinson, and Chasity Melvin. Khadijah (along with Andrea and Chastity) plays in a completely different game than Susan Yow (who only played one season) and Genia Beasley played in. I think Khadijah does fit in to the top 5 NCSU women’s hoops players of all time, and top 3 careers.

Today is for Kay

First of all, I’ve been watching the Lady Wolfpack take on the, umm, Lady Eagles? I have the volume down so I’m not really sure what the Boston College women are referred to as. The opening moments of the first half did not look to well. I had that feeling of “no, not today!” of all days. Well, the Lady Wolfpack have ruled the second half and are currently leading 58-41, domination. What more could we fans of the Pack ask for today? Oh yeah, I know, Go Clempsun! Beat dem Heels!

Ok, back to the meaning of this day, February 10, 2008…

What’s the big deal with this Sunday afternoon? It’s more or less a “dress rehearsal” for coverage of the NCAA Tournament.

Today, ESPN2 is showing eight regional games within two telecast windows (2 p.m. ET and 4:30 pm ET). The day allows ESPN to hone the production coordination between game crews and the studio needed to air the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. But this month’s Frenzy will feature something new — and it comes in pink. Teams such as NC State, Rutgers, Georgia and LSU are expected to wear pink uniforms, shoelaces or shooting shirts to help promote breast cancer awareness and encourage fans to contribute to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.The Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research, in collaboration with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), launched the initiative in early December. It honors NC State women’s coach Kay Yow, who worked alongside Jim Valvano at NC State before he succumbed to cancer in 1993. Yow, who has more than 700 coaching victories, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 and learned in November she has stage-four cancer.

Love for the Ladies

From ESPN: 64 teams we like heading into 2007-08

22. NC State Last spring’s feel-good story — coach Kay Yow’s battle with cancer — could very well be this season’s most inspiring saga as well.

Weekend wrap-up

So, I have been without internet access since last Thursday, but am back “home” in Apex, NC now for a few days before I head back to NY.

I did get to listen to the last 3 innings of the State baseball game today on my way back from Atlantic City. The Pack had a nice 7th inning to take the lead over Virginia, one of the top 3 teams in the nation, this afternoon. Eryk McConnell retired the final six batters of UVa in order to get Save number 10 of the season.

I am just finding out that the women’s softball made a shocking first day exit from the ACC Tournament last Thursday. BC and Maryland combined to hold the Pack offense to a total of 2 runs in 2 games. It’s an understatement to say this is a disappointment. The Ladies did receive a #15 seed in the NCAA Women’s Softball Tournament. Let’s hope that the rest lets them regroup and make a good push.

ACC Softball Tournament

The ACC Women’s Softball Tournament starts today in Tallahassee, FL.

In the seond game of today, #2 seed NC State takes on #7 seed Boston College at 12:30 p.m.

For a complete schedule of the weekends games go to TheACC.com

Our ladies have a good chance of taking the title again this year. They have won 17 of their last 18 games, and outscoring conference opponents on the year 102 to 59.

A win against BC today will give State head coach Lisa Navas her 500th career win, against only 224 losses.