Desiree Wooten Could Make Noise at NC State

We are officially about a month away from seeing NC State women's basketball back in uniform.

And as of right now, I'm less interested in comparing the Wolfpack to everyone else in the ACC and more interested in figuring out what this team has.

Six players returning and six newcomers.

When I look at the roster, I don't necessarily see a team searching for an identity.

I see a team with a lot of players who seem to have a pretty clear lane.

Obviously, that will change once we actually see them play together.

But one player in particular has my attention.

Desiree Wooten.

Wooten arrives in Raleigh after leading Colorado in scoring last season at 13.4 points per game. She also averaged 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals while earning All-Big 12 honorable mention honors.

She shot 35.2% from three and knocked down 50 threes. And now she’s wearing No. 3 in Raleigh? Yeah… I can get behind that as someone who used to shoot it a little bit myself.

That immediately gives NC State another player defenses have to respect on the perimeter.

What really interests me is that Wooten isn't limited to being a shooter.

Coach Wes Moore called her a

He highlighted her ability to score at all three levels, handle and distribute the ball, and make plays defensively.

That's a pretty strong endorsement from a coach who has already seen what she's capable of.

And I think her versatility could be really useful for this team.

She can handle the ball.

She can create.

She can shoot.

She can attack.

She can defend.

If she continues from where she left off at Colorado, I think Wooten has a legitimate chance to make some noise in Raleigh.

Not because she has to carry the offense.

But because she gives NC State another option.

And sometimes that's exactly what a team needs.

Obviously, Zam Jones is no longer on the roster after transferring to Louisville.

There's no need to pretend losing a player who contributed as much as Zam did doesn't matter. But at this point, I’m more interested in what NC State has now, than what it lost.

The goal isn't to recreate last season.

It's to figure out what this group can do well.

Based on what we know right now — last year's production, film and the way I see the pieces fitting together — this is my current starting five:

Zoe Brooks

Desiree Wooten

Qadence Samuels

Khamil Pierre

Maddie Cox

Will this actually be the starting five?

We'll see.

That's the fun of doing this before we've seen the team play.

But I can see the logic.

Zoe gives you your primary creator.

Wooten gives you another player who can score and make plays with the ball.

Samuels gives you another experienced perimeter piece.

Pierre gives you your rebounding and interior production.

And Cox gives you another reliable frontcourt option that works her butt off.

It's not the biggest lineup.

But I think it could be a really effective one.

Small but mighty.

Pierre is the player who gives this lineup some stability.

She averaged 16.8 points and 11.9 rebounds last season and finished with 22 double-doubles while leading the ACC in rebounding.

That's the kind of production you build around.

And if NC State is going to lean into versatility and potentially play smaller at times, rebounding becomes even more important.

You can't give up possessions just because you're not the biggest team on the floor.

Pierre gives NC State someone who can control that part of the game.

And I expect her to be one of the biggest constants on this roster.

This is another reason I like the potential fit.

Zoe Brooks is the primary offensive engine, averaging 17.7 points and 4.2 assists per game in ACC play last season.

Now you're potentially adding another player next to her who has experience creating offense.

Instead of asking one player to generate everything, NC State could have multiple players capable of making something shake when the shot clock runs down.

[Making something shake (slang): figuring it out and making something happen. Preferably before the shot clock hits zero.]

Wooten's shooting makes that even more intruiging.

If she can consistently knock down shots, defenses can't simply sit back and relax in the paint. 

If she attacks closeouts, now you're creating another problem for the helpside defense.

Her fit is more important than her individual scoring numbers.

And I mean that.

It's way too early for me to start ranking NC State against the rest of the ACC.

We haven't seen this team play together.

We haven't seen the rotation.

We haven't seen who earns those last few minutes.

We haven't seen how this group responds when a game gets tight.

What I do know is what I see on paper and on film.

I see a team with returning experience.

I see six newcomers who have an opportunity to change the rotation.

I see Zoe and Khamil as two proven pieces.

I see Wooten coming in with legitimate scoring ability and versatility.

And I see a roster where the individual pieces make sense.

As of right now, based on what we saw last season, the numbers and the film, I like what NC State has.