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ACC: News and notes on every women’s basketball team for 2019-20 season

GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 03: Louisville Cardinals guard Jazmine Jones (23) drives on North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Aislinn Konig (1) during the ACC women's tournament game between the NC State Wolfpack and the Louisville Cardinals on March 3, 2018, at Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, NC. (Photo by William Howard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
GREENSBORO, NC - MARCH 03: Louisville Cardinals guard Jazmine Jones (23) drives on North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Aislinn Konig (1) during the ACC women's tournament game between the NC State Wolfpack and the Louisville Cardinals on March 3, 2018, at Greensboro Coliseum Complex in Greensboro, NC. (Photo by William Howard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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RALEIGH, NC – MARCH 25: NC State Wolfpack head coach Wes Moore during the 2019 Div 1 Championship – Second Round college basketball game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the NC State Wolfpack on March 25, 2019 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, NC. (Photo by Michael Berg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC – MARCH 25: NC State Wolfpack head coach Wes Moore during the 2019 Div 1 Championship – Second Round college basketball game between the Kentucky Wildcats and the NC State Wolfpack on March 25, 2019 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, NC. (Photo by Michael Berg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Freshman class could be crucial for N.C. State

After back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16, Wes Moore’s side is looking to take a leap this season. With traditional ACC powers Notre Dame and Louisville dealing with some turnover, this might be the Wolfpack’s best shot at making a real run at the conference crown and a trip to the Final Four.

N.C. State lost Kiara Leslie – who won’t be easy to replace – but they bring back senior point guard Aislinn Konig, sophomore center Elissa Cunane, guard Kai Crutchfield, forward Erika Cassell and redshirt seniors Grace Hunter and Kaila Ealey. And in addition to those veterans returning, the Wolfpack also got a big boost this offseason with their recruiting class.

Moore landed three players in the top 100 of ESPN’s 2019 rankings, and then 2020 No. 39 prospect Elle Sutphin reclassified to join the Wolfpack this year.

“They’re an extremely talented bunch,” Konig said of the freshmen. “They bring a lot of different aspects to our game and deepen our bench. I think they will have an opportunity to make an impact on the floor, especially in the coming years.”

Moore said that ESPN’s No. 16 prospect, Jakia Brown-Turner, is in line to contribute right away.

“She is a kid who has an opportunity to really make a big impact for us coming right out of the chute,” Moore said. “Obviously, she was a McDonald’s All-American and somebody with a lot of talent. We’re excited about her.”

Virginia motivated in second year under Thompson

The Virginia Cavaliers struggled in their first season under former WNBA great Tina Thompson. After serving as an assistant at Texas for a few years, last year was Thompson’s first season as a head coach. The ‘Hoos went 12-19 – their first losing season in five years – but they did win an ACC tournament game over Boston College and split with rival Virginia Tech in the regular season. It was a season filled with more lows than highs, but it taught Thompson a lot.

“I just learned that you always kind of have to be in a position to adjust,” Thompson said. “We did not expect to have the amount of injuries that we had last season and it affected us in a great way. I learned how resilient our young women are… We were extremely competitive and we changed the mindset of how people saw us.”

Jocelynn Willoughby was the team’s leading scorer and rebounds at 14.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per-game last season and she’s back for her senior campaign. The East Orange, New Jersey product was named to the watch list for the Ann Drysdale Award. She is also a preseason All-ACC selection.

“You can’t have a season like that and not be motivated,” Willoughby said. “It was a disappointing season for us, but I think some of the greatest seasons come from disappointment. You’ve seen that with our men. Not that we’re going to have the same level — maybe it’s not going to be quite a Cinderella story. But I think it’s something that’s igniting us to work even harder.”

In addition to Willoughby, Dominique Toussaint also returns, as does Lisa Jablonowski. Virginia should get a boost from Purdue transfer Dani Lawson and Shemera Williams, tabbed as the 55th best recruit by ESPN for the class of 2019.

Will the freshman class be able to contribute right away?

“They have no choice,” Thompson said. “We have four returning players. Somebody is going to have to play… They’re going to have to learn on the job.”

Boston College runs it back

It’s the second year on the job for head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee. She returns all five starters from a team that went 14-16 last season, including All-ACC rookie selection MaKayla Dickens.

The only freshman who might see playing time for the Eagles this season is Jaelyn Batts, as fellow freshman Akunna Konkwo is rehabbing for the 2020-21 season. The returning seniors are Emma Guy, Taylor Ortlepp and Georgia Pineau. Guy was the team’s leading scorer and rebounder last season, posting 14.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per-game.

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