North Carolina State University Athletics
Men and Women Begin Basketball Practice
10/15/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NC State's new basketball home is the Entertainment and Sports Arena, but when the Wolfpack practices for the first time on Saturday morning, it will do so inside the friendly confines of an old friend. 50-year old Reynolds Coliseum isn't yet obsolete, and in fact, its famed walls are still quite useful.
So it is that the Pack begins preparations for a new era with a lot of old faces. NC State returns eight-scholarship letterman from a team that won 19 games last season. Joining the veterans at practice on Saturday will be an impressive three-man freshman class. Damien Wilkins, Clifford Crawford and Marshall Williams are expected to make immediate contributions.
The healthy return of guard Archie Miller should also give the Wolfpack a boost. The red shirt sophomore from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania missed nearly all of last season after undergoing back surgery. Earlier this fall, NC State head coach Herb Sendek characterized Miller as, "the best shooter I have ever been around."
The grand opening of the ESA will be on November 19 when the Pack hosts Georgia.
Expectations are just as high for the NC State women's team, which will also begin pre-season drills on Saturday. The Wolfpack returns 1999 ACC Player of the Year Summer Erb along with All-ACC guard Tynesha Lewis.
Coach Kay Yow's freshman class could very well be the best in school history. The class of Kaayla Chones, Amy Simpson, Terah James, Ivy Gardner, Carisse Moody and Amelia Labador was ranked #2 in the country by Women's Basketball Journal.
"This freshman class has tremendous potential, but they will have to prove themselves on the court at this level," said Yow.
The Wolfpack Women will begin their season against Rutgers at the State Farm Tip-off Classic on November 14.
