FanPost

WBB: E-lonnnn!

Raina 2

We Love to Watch Raina Shoot Foul Shots. photo sbas.

State hosts Elon Sunday at 2 p.m. in Reynolds. State's overall record against Elon is 11-1 with all of the games being home games for State. The one loss was a home game at Broughton High School on December 13, 2015. Elon won 69-66. Maddie McCallie, the daughter of Joanne McCallie, the Duke women's basketball coach at the time, had 16 points shooting 5-9 from the floor; 4-6 from the arc. Lauren Brown led Elon in scoring in that game with 18.

What stuck out with me for that game, one in which I could not attend, was Patrick Kinas commenting during the radio broadcast of the game how Joanne McCallie, who was attending the game and sitting behind the Elon bench, was loudly supporting Elon and her daughter. Nothing wrong with that. Revenge might have been State for the first time in a long time beating Duke in Durham on January 14, 2016 by a score of 65-62 and with Joanne as Duke's head coach.

Charlotte Smith, the niece of David Thompson, is the head coach of Elon. Because she hit the big shot to give UNC the 1994 national championship and coached at UNC as an assistant for nine years, I thought she might become the head coach for UNC when Sylvia Hatchell stepped down. Instead UNC went with Courtney Banghart. Banghart is doing a good job of recruiting at UNC as her 2021 class included four players ranked in the top 20 of the Hoopgurlz's 2021 class.

I of course think that State's 2021 class of Diamond Johnson, Madison Haynes, Aziaha James, Sophia Hart and Jessica Timmons is better. Hayes and Johnson are transfers but they are still part of State's 2021 class. With this in mind one might ask which transfers into Coach Moore's program have made or is making a significant impact. I would start with Dominique Wilson then follow that with Kiara Leslie and finally Diamond Johnson. Dominique Wilson and Miah Spencer led the State teams which were the start of State's rise under Coach Moore to where they are now. Ashley Williams was a part of that group. Although she is an assistant at Indiana, we still love her.

On to Elon. Elon is currently 5-1 with their one loss being to South Carolina. In their latest game which was against NC Central, a 73-51 win, Elon started five-eight senior Brie Perpignan, five-nine redshirt senior Ariana Nance, six-feet junior Maya Johnson, five-ten senior Kayla Liles and five-eight junior Vanessa Taylor. Five-seven junior Bria Harmon played 22 minutes off the bench, while six-one sophomore Ajia James played 20 and five-eight redshirt senior Peyton Carter played 18. Brie led Elon in scoring in that game with 17 hitting 6-11 shots from the floor; 3-6 from the arc. Ajia James off the bench led Elon in rebounding in the Central game with 10.

From warrennolan.com, State (7-1) has a Live RPI of 3, a NET of 11, an ELO of 1 and an SOS of 3. State's quadrant one record is 3-1. State's one loss was to South Carolina and State's best win was the one over Indiana.

From warrennolan.com, Elon (5-1) has a Live RPI of 92, a NET of 156, an ELO of 113 and an SOS of 241. Elon's one loss was also to South Carolina (79-38) and their best win was over N. C. A&T (76-66). Elon's quadrant one record is 0-1.

Warrennolan predicts State to win 80-52. Even with a State letdown from the Indiana win, State wins as predicted. Whom am I kidding? There will be no letdown with Diamond Johnson. One might also look for Jakia Brown-Turner to make up for her poor showing in State's games against Washington State (30 minutes; 2-11) and Indiana (22 minutes; 0-2 from the floor). Plus, State's bench wants some quality time. Go Pack!