All-Wolfpack's Bold Predictions
Hello all,
I don't own a fully functional crystal ball at the moment, but I do like to test my prognostication abilities from time to time.
Here are some bold NC State-related predictions for the future, both near and far.
1. NC State's baseball team will be right back in the mix for both conference and national titles.
The Wolfpack is sans Sam Highfill, as the proud owner of the key to Apex, North Carolina is out for the season to injury.
That aside, NCSU has enough hitting to score on anyone. The top of the order is Devonte Brown, LuJames Groover III, and Tommy White. That is three players that essentially are guaranteed four at bats per game, which is a problem for opposing pitchers. They are followed by Josh Hood and Noah Soles.
NC State bats exactly .300 as of April 26th. The Wolfpack can rake.
If the team gets production from the bottom half of its order, is sound defensively, and can bridge the starting pitching to get to Chris Villaman then the sky is the limit.
I predict NC State will make it through its pod in the ACC Championships and be in the mix for the conference title. I also believe the Wolfpack will win its regional and be back to Supers for a second consecutive season.
Would I be surprised if NCSU wins the ACC (even considering its long barren stretch of 30 years with an ACC crown)? No, I would not.
Would it stun me if the Wolfpack books passage to Omaha again? Not completely.
However, I am not ready to go there yet. I am comfortable believing in NC State to have another terrific season. I do think there is enough there for that.
2. Raina Perez will shock folks by having a longer than expected professional career and the Wolfpack alum will one day be a college or professional head coach.
Perez, who is scheduled to play in her second preseason game with the Seattle Storm on Thursday, has a unique ability to meld into whatever type of player her team needs.
That skill will serve her well. The WNBA is a meatgrinder in that there just isn't a lot of jobs available with only 12 teams on the league. Wherever her professional career takes her, she can make adjustments to fit within the construct of what that organization needs.
Would I be surprised if she grows into a WNBA starter? Yes, somewhat, but I could see her being a key reserve and also plying her trade overseas for a lengthy time if that is what she wants for herself.
At some point, playing ball for money will come to its end for Perez. Someone with her intelligence and, more importantly, awareness of the game will certainly have an opportunity to coach at whatever level she seeks.
My prediction? Raina Perez will eventually be a major college head coach. Her preference for the west coast tells me that it is likely where she would prefer to live, so I would not be shocked at all if Perez one day leads a program like UCLA, UNLV, or one of the PAC-12 schools in Arizona.
3. Jordan Houston will be a star for NC State in 2022.
Dave Doeren enters his 10th season as head coach at NC State knowing he will need to replace 1,400 yards of rushing that went out the door as Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person Jr. decided to attempt to ply their trade at the next level.
Houston has been patiently waiting his chance, with a reduced number of touches in each of his three seasons at NCSU, and the 2022 season should be it.
Doeren has demonstrated over the years that his preferred method of attack, in regard to the running game, is to use his top two backs in what amounts to a time share. If he is comfortable with his two-deep at the tailback position, both players will generally get an equal number of carries.
However, when necessary, Doeren has relied on one back more than once in his time in Raleigh -- including three straight seasons where the Wolfpack has 1,000-yard rushers (Matthew Dayes in 2016, Nyheim Hines in 2017, and Reggie Gallaspy II in 2018).
I predict Houston will be Doeren's fourth 1,000-yard rusher at NC State.
Houston has the skills to be a three-down back. He is terrific catching passes behind the line of scrimmage, in the flats, and between the seams. The rising senior can make the initial defender miss.
He can also hit the gaps with great speed and without let-up. If you had to compare him to another NC State player that Doeren has coached in his time in Raleigh, it would likely be Hines -- albeit with a little less speed. Houston has the potential to be a major weapon for the Wolfpack. I predict he will.
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A lifelong native of the Triangle area in North Carolina, Rob McLamb has covered NC State Athletics since 2010, as well as writing about each of the five major sports leagues in North America (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and MLS) for various newspapers and outlets. As a journalist who has also served as a high school and college coach, McLamb provides an educated, unfiltered, and analytical perspective on the Wolfpack and the ACC.