NC State discusses Princeton in preparation for NCAA Tournament clash

NC State is on the road for Friday’s round of 64 NCAA Tournament matchup against Princeton— an opportunity the program will not take for granted. With a little more than 24 hours to go until tip-off,  head coach Wes Moore, center Camille Hobby and guard Aziaha James all discussed their thoughts on the upcoming tournament showdown. 

Wes Moore shares an update on Diamond Johnson

Diamond Johnson, a 2023 All-ACC second team guard and the team’s top scoring threat, has not played since Feb. 16 after a persistent ankle injury became too much to play through. She sat out the ACC Tournament and planned on returning for the rest of the postseason. 

Based on Moore’s Thursday afternoon comments, it sounds like Johnson will likely miss the matchup with Princeton. 

“Yeah, not looking good,” Moore said. “I think she’s still experiencing pain. We’ll see, but [she is] not progressing as quickly as we would like, so we may not have her available. So, [she is] obviously our leading scorer, second team all ACC, definitely someone that makes a difference but, again, still experiencing some pain, I believe.”

Moore talks keys to the game against Princeton 

Kaitlyn Chen, the Ivy League player of the year, and Ellie Mitchell, the conference’s back-to-back defensive player of the year, have put together great seasons with the Tigers. Moore made sure to mention both athletes when discussing the challenges Princeton, a team riding a 15-game winning streak, present to the Pack.

“I guess you start with the point guard, Chen,” Moore said. “[She] obviously had a great year, averaging 16 points a game and scores at all three levels, so you [have] got to be concerned with that. . .

“All [of] their starters just about are 9 or 10 points a game behind her, and they’re all a threat, so you can’t just focus on her too much and let other people get going.

“Then Mitchell [is] unbelievable on the offensive boards. I think 116 offensive rebounds this year is scary, so we’ll have to try to limit their second shots.”

Could the Wolfpack’s experience help lead to a deep tournament run?

NC State comes into the tournament looking to make its fifth-consecutive sweet 16 appearance. Hobby, who has played for the Pack since 2019, said there is a positive vibe around the team.

“I think that we’re just really excited,” Hobby said. “We know this is going to be a team effort, and every team that’s made the tournament deserves to be here and is extremely talented, so we’re just trying to go into it with a positive mindset and just be really excited that we are here.”

James agreed that the team’s optimistic attitude, built throughout the highs and lows of this season, prepared the team to succeed in March.

“We had some downfalls during the season, but just building chemistry with each other and the bond, and being positive, and encouraging each other in practice and stuff, just helped us get that positive mindset to do great in the NCAA tournament,” James said.

Moore said, since most of this year’s squad was on the team when the Pack reached the elite 8 in 2022, he hopes that experience will help during this year’s tournament. 

Following the team’s recent loss to Notre Dame, Moore was critical of NC State’s energy level as it bowed out of the ACC Tournament. During Thursday’s press conference, he reflected on those comments.

“After going back and looking at the film from the Notre Dame game, I might have been a little bit hard [on them]. . .,” Moore said. 

“Our practices have been good. We gave them a little bit of time off. We came back in and shot and lifted and things like that [for] a day or two. Then, we had a couple of practices where we could really focus on us before the bracket came out. 

“We knew who we were playing, and now we’ve had a couple of days to focus on Princeton. So, yeah, I think it’s been good. I think the energy’s been good. We’re excited about being here.”

All quotes are via asaptext.com’s press conference transcript.