Great early signs for N.C. State’s Boyd
RALEIGH, N.C. — Wes Moore signed an impressive freshmen class for N.C. State this season, bringing in three of ESPN’s top 100 recruits. One of those players was Jada Boyd, who was ranked 39th by ESPN.
In her collegiate debut, Boyd shined for the Wolfpack, leading the team in scoring and rebounding with 18 points and 11 assists in an off-the-bench effort. Boyd played 21 minutes and also tallied five steals and an assist in the Wolfpack’s 80-44 win over North Carolina A&T.
“Coming into the game, I was really nervous,” Boyd said in the postgame press conference. “I tried to get my jitters out in the first half, as you all could see. But I came into the second half feeling pretty confident. During halftime, Coach Moore told me to go in and play my game, so that’s what I did.”
A 6-foot-2 native of Petersburg, Virginia, Boyd was an All-American honorable mention and one of the best players in her state. She joked that main thing Moore brought her to N.C. State for was to rebound, but Boyd’s energy in the paint and expertise on the glass could be crucial for the Wolfpack this season. The Aggies out-rebounded them by five on Wednesday.
“She’s a great athlete and I’m excited about the potential she has,” Moore said of Boyd. “The tough part is, we got to bring her along as quickly as we can without overwhelming her and get her ready to play in some tough games… She’s great at going and getting (the rebound) but probably needs to work at boxing out for a second before you go get it.”