Khamil Pierre anchors No. 9 NC State’s dominant front court upset win over No. 8 Tennessee

GREENSBORO — There’s just something about NC State junior forward Khamil Pierre’s offensive game that Tennessee’s full-court pressing defense doesn’t have an answer for. The unique pressure seems to make life difficult for most players around the country, but not for the Wolfpack’s newest offseason addition. 

The Vanderbilt transfer picked it apart in her previous two games against the Lady Vols a season ago, averaging 18.5 points with 11.5 rebounds to help pace the Commodores’ attack against Kim Caldwell’s uncommon style of play. 

Even though Pierre traded in her black and gold for red and white this summer, one thing remained constant: her ability to excel against the storied women’s basketball program. She was at the top of Tennessee’s scouting report going into the season opener, but it still seemed as if they had no chance of stopping her.

Pierre scored a team-best 21 points with 14 rebounds — her 46th career double-double — to help guide No. 9 NC State past No. 8 Tennessee 80-77, despite trailing by as many as 10 points, in her Wolfpack debut on Tuesday afternoon at First Horizon Coliseum. 

The Phoenix, Ariz., native left the Volunteers befuddled for most of the afternoon as she knocked down jump shots with ease, while also getting to the rim nearly at will en route to a 9-of-19 shooting performance. 

“I don’t think we guarded her at all,” Caldwell, the Lady Vols’ second-year coach, said postgame. “I think she’s one of the best players in the country. She hit some really tough shots where we did a good job defensively, and then she had some that were wide open. … We can’t seem to find her in a boxout. And if we do get a stop, she’ll go get it and put it back in.” 

Pierre, whose arrival this summer was unexpected after she left Vanderbilt’s program and transferred to NC State as a walk-on before joining the team in August, proved to be the exact player that Wolfpack coach Wes Moore was looking to add to his roster. It was a unique set of circumstances, but in her first true game with the Pack, Pierre showed why she would have been among the top available transfers had she entered the portal.

“Khamil was exactly what we were hoping to get: somebody that can go out and get a double-double, rebound and score the ball,” Moore said. “She made some tough shots and got some big boards.”

While Pierre was able to pace the Pack’s scoring offense, she helped create a formidable frontline against Tennessee alongside sophomore center Tilda Trygger. The Stockholm, Sweden, native posted 19 points with eight rebounds to be the ultimate wing woman for Pierre to play off of in the paint against the Volunteers’ towering lineup. 

Trygger emerged as the Pack’s go-to center in the early stages of last season and has since become a force on the interior. She appeared to be tougher, corralling rebounds while not being pushed around, a critical sign of growth moving forward. 

For Pierre, playing with a premier center is a new experience. It’s one she welcomes, while also being surrounded by elite guards with junior Zoe Brooks and sophomore Zam Jones. That quartet scored 71 of the team’s 80 points in the win, which Pierre appeared to enjoy after she had to carry much of the scoring load at Vanderbilt last season.

“I’ve never been able to play with someone like that, so I think that’s really incredible,” Pierre said of Trygger. “We had four people in double digits, it was a whole team effort. I think that’s really cool to be surrounded by people that everyone can pour a lot into the team. It’s a lot less stressful, too.”

Pierre has worked to get in a better headspace since she arrived at NC State. She pondered quitting the sport following her departure from Vanderbilt this past summer, but elected to continue playing with the support from her circle. 

Now, her NC State debut seemed to be a glimpse of why Pierre was named a preseason All-ACC selection without even playing a minute in the league. She was able to impact the game on nearly every level, and despite missing several open layups, Pierre’s refreshed mindset appeared to kick in.

“Everybody understands what I’m capable of, I understand what I’m capable of,” Pierre said. “It’s just understanding that it’s bigger than myself. I’ll just keep continuing to push through whatever the occasion is because my team needs me to do that.”

Pierre still has room to grow within NC State’s system after she was the last to arrive for preseason practices, but she’s growing each time she hits the floor. She was a “walking double-double”  a year ago in the SEC, which is likely to continue with the Wolfpack if the season-opening win over the Lady Vols was any indication. Khamil Pierre anchors No. 9 NC State’s dominant front court upset win over No. 8 Tennessee