SPOKANE, WA. – No one is talking about NC State’s bigs. Why would they? The Wolfpack are a guard-oriented team, with one of last year’s tournament darlings Aziaha James leading the way. It’s LSU that has the dominant bigs, including double-double queen Aneesah Morrow.
“I’m sure their posts have developed and are better,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said. “But they have four outstanding guards, and they’re not going to change their philosophy and all of a sudden become a post-dominant team.”
But NC State needs its bigs. They play a massive role, even if it’s done in the shadows.
“They’ve accepted their roles because they know we have dynamic guards,” NC State associate head coach Nikki West said. “Not everyone can be a superstar; you need people who know what their roles are, and they do a good job of that.”
Freshmen Tilda Trygger and Lorena Awou and sophomore Mallory Collier make up a trio of post players who didn’t even know what their roles would be at the start of the season. Neither did the NC State coaching staff. They signed 6-foot-4 Caitlin Weimar out of the portal in the offseason to be their primary big, but the former Patriot League Player of the Year injured her hip prior to the season and never played a game for the Wolfpack. She’s currently back in the portal to find a new home for next season. NC State was forced to pivot.
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“We were honest with them,” West said. “Telling them, ‘Your name is being called. You have to be ready.’ They are very young, but they listened. I can’t stress that enough. They listened and got better each time out.”
Trygger is NC State’s primary post, playing 22 minutes per game and averaging 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. But it’s truly a post-by-committee situation, West says, with everyone chipping in and bringing small things to the court. Collier averages 11.3 minutes, 3.1 points and 2.3 rebounds per game while Awou records 8.9 minutes, 2.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
“Someone can score better one day, someone defends better, someone rebounds,” West said. “It’s a game-by-game basis. But they all stay ready.”
With Trygger taking on the biggest role, her development throughout the season has been paramount to NC State’s success. The 6-foot-6 Swede is slowly coming into her own, both on and off the court. Coming from a European style of basketball, Trygger is used to playing a five-out style, floating around the perimeter and shooting rather than using her size inside. Sometimes, head coach Wes Moore joked, she’s “too Swedish,” but she’s learning to be more physical.
Trygger started to find her way in the middle of the season, when she recorded three double-digit scoring games in a row against Clemson, Boston College and No. 24 California. But her best game came in NC State’s signature win, a 104-95 double-overtime victory over No. 1 Notre Dame on February 23. Trygger finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. The talent is certainly there. Now, it’s about finding the grit necessary to play with bigs like LSU’s Morrow.
“She’s so sweet and kind and quiet,” West said. “It’s so hard to yell at her. She’s always trying to do what’s right, both on and off the court.”
Trygger has gotten tougher since stepping on campus, largely because of Collier and Awou. The two are traditional posts that use strength and size to overpower opponents, on offense and defense.
“They’re so strong,” Trygger said. “They make me better every day.”
NC State will need all three bigs on Friday in their Sweet Sixteen matchup against LSU. Morrow and sophomore Sa’Myah Smith bring a daunting paint presence. Smith’s length is a problem for opponents, and she leads LSU with 1.4 blocks per game. Meanwhile, there is no one in basketball with a motor for the ball like Morrow. She has recorded a double-double in 30 of her team’s 34 contests, with four 20-plus rebound games.
The Tigers won’t be shy about getting the ball inside. The Wolfpack have seen their post game in action already this season, when the teams met in the Baha Mar Pink Flamingo Championship on Nov. 27. Morrow had 20 points and 15 rebounds in the game, while NC State’s posts combined for five points and 10 rebounds. LSU won 82-65, but Moore is confident that his team will be different this time around. Still, he’s concerned about the paint battle.
“LSU is a different animal,” he said. “They’re a great offensive rebounding team, and that’s what concerns you going into this game, is can we limit ’em to one shot a possession? I think rebounds are the most important factor in the game.”
Despite their important role, NC State’s bigs know they won’t be talked about, at least not positively heading into Friday’s matchup. But they’re okay with that. They aren’t looking for credit, just wins.
“A lot of people don’t think we have strength in the post,” Trygger said. “We aren’t well known post players, but we are going about it in our own way. And we are in the Sweet Sixteen, so it must work somehow.”
