North Carolina State University Athletics
Photo by: Ken Martin
No. 12 Signing Class: #WolfpackWomen Add Three Stellar Recruits
11/11/2015 11:45:00 AM | Women's Basketball
November 11, 2015
RALEIGH – NC State women's basketball head coach Wes Moore today announced the signing of a strong recruiting class which will join the Wolfpack for the 2016-17 season. The Wolfpack's latest class is ranked 12th in the nation by ESPNW and fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. *(On November 18, ESPN changed a number of class rankings, including NC State's. As of November 18's rankings, the Wolfpack class was rated 18th in the nation.)*
NC State's class includes Aislinn "Ace" Konig (ESPN #38), Kiana "Lucky" Rudd (ESPN #78), and Erika Cassell (ESPN #88).
Aislinn "Ace" Konig | 5-9 G | Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Five-star rated and given a scouts grade of 97, Aislinn "Ace" Konig is the No. 38 overall prospect and No. 9 guard in the class of 2016. Named the British Columbia Player of the Year in 2015, Konig plays for Brookswood Secondary School.
Konig has guided the Brookswood Bobcats to back-to-back Provincial AAA titles in 2014 and 2015. She scored a game-high 26 points in the 2015 championship game and was named Tournament MVP both seasons. Konig was also invited to the adidas 3stripe All-American Camp in the summer of 2015.
Not only can Ace distribute the ball, but she has range, as shown by this deep buzzer beater in 2014.
Wes Moore (NC State head coach): "Ace is the rare talent that makes everyone around her better and raises the entire team's level of play. She's great with the ball in her hands, both as a scorer and a facilitator. Her ability to nail the three, create off the bounce, or thread the needle with a full-court pass will make her an instant fan favorite of Wolfpack Nation."
Dan Olson (Director of ESPNW HoopGurlz and the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report): "Konig has a confident disposition and is a threat with the ball in her hands. She has range, deep range, and can beat you off the dribble or from behind the line. Konig is a crafty, cerebral combo guard who is unselfish, finds her teammates, and distributes the ball."
Keil Moore (National Recruiting Analyst for ProspectsNation and Director of Scouting for JumpOffPlus): "Konig is one of the premier scoring guards in all of prep basketball. She has the ability to play on and off the ball for NC State and possesses great size for either position. Konig gives this class a talented offensive performer who can create her own shot off the bounce or run a team and facilitate the offense."
Kiana "Lucky" Rudd | 5-9 G | Thomasville, N.C.
Four-star rated and given a scouts grade of 94, Kiana "Lucky" Rudd is the No. 78 overall prospect and No. 19 guard in the class of 2016.
Nicknamed "Lucky" due to the timely nature of her birth, the New Hope Christian Academy guard is coached by her father, Delaney, who is a Wake Forest alum and former NBA player. Lucky averaged 8.5 points and 1.3 assists per game during the 2013-14 season and upped both of those totals in 2014-15, scoring 12.5 points and dishing out 1.9 assists per contest.
Lucky led the New Hope Phoenix to the 2015 National Independent School Athletic Association National Championship on March 8, earning Tournament MVP honors along the way.
Wes Moore: "Lucky is a great shooter from deep behind the arc and also possesses an explosive first step, making her a matchup nightmare for most opponents. A scoring threat with the ball or off the ball, she and Ace will compliment one another well and form a great 1-2 punch. Lucky will also be a playmaker on the defensive end for us."
Dan Olson: "Rudd is a superb scorer, a knock down jump shooter to the arc, and has added a creative mid-range game. Taught by an ACC legend in her father (Delaney), Kiana has solid guard skills, executes in a half-court game and has a high basketball IQ."
Keil Moore: "Rudd is one of the better shooters in the country. Over the past couple of years she has developed her ability to score off the bounce and will be able to bring both perimeter shooting and playmaking to the NC State backcourt. Rudd is a quality athlete who should be a key defender during her career."
Erika Cassell | 6-2 F | Marietta, Ga.
Four-star rated and given a scouts grade of 94, Erika Cassell is the No. 88 overall prospect and No. 16 forward in the class of 2016. She plays high school basketball for Holy Innocents' Episcopal School.
During both her sophomore and junior seasons, Holy Innocents' Episcopal School was a 5A Regional Champion and finished in second place at the Georgia State Championship. Cassell was a team captain both seasons. Her junior season was exceptionally strong, as she was named AJC Second Team All-State, earned a spot on the Naismith Trophy Midseason Award Watch List, was named to the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Team, and helped her team win a school-record 31 games.
In addition to Erika's impressive athletic accomplishments, she also spends significant time off the court participating in charitable activities. Cassell began volunteering with the Atlanta Mission for Women and Children during her junior year and has spent her entire high school career participating in various breast cancer awareness events for both the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and Susan G Komen charity.
Wes Moore: "Erika is an athletic forward with a high motor on both ends of the floor. She is a versatile scorer that is aggressive in the paint, but also has the ability to step out and bury the three. A relentless force on the boards, Erika is someone who can definitely rebound outside of her area."
Dan Olson: "Erika has a workhorse mentality in the paint with post play technique that earns her points in the paint and at the foul line. She gives a consistent effort at both ends of the floor."
Keil Moore: "Cassell is a forward who has continued to improve and mature every year of her prep career. She is an active interior presence who has developed the ability to step away from the rim and make open shots. Cassell brings a great balance of will and skill to the Wolfpack roster and should also make a lasting impression on and off the floor with her energy."
#WolfpackWomen
RALEIGH – NC State women's basketball head coach Wes Moore today announced the signing of a strong recruiting class which will join the Wolfpack for the 2016-17 season. The Wolfpack's latest class is ranked 12th in the nation by ESPNW and fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference. *(On November 18, ESPN changed a number of class rankings, including NC State's. As of November 18's rankings, the Wolfpack class was rated 18th in the nation.)*
NC State's class includes Aislinn "Ace" Konig (ESPN #38), Kiana "Lucky" Rudd (ESPN #78), and Erika Cassell (ESPN #88).
Aislinn "Ace" Konig | 5-9 G | Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
Five-star rated and given a scouts grade of 97, Aislinn "Ace" Konig is the No. 38 overall prospect and No. 9 guard in the class of 2016. Named the British Columbia Player of the Year in 2015, Konig plays for Brookswood Secondary School.
Konig has guided the Brookswood Bobcats to back-to-back Provincial AAA titles in 2014 and 2015. She scored a game-high 26 points in the 2015 championship game and was named Tournament MVP both seasons. Konig was also invited to the adidas 3stripe All-American Camp in the summer of 2015.
Not only can Ace distribute the ball, but she has range, as shown by this deep buzzer beater in 2014.
Wes Moore (NC State head coach): "Ace is the rare talent that makes everyone around her better and raises the entire team's level of play. She's great with the ball in her hands, both as a scorer and a facilitator. Her ability to nail the three, create off the bounce, or thread the needle with a full-court pass will make her an instant fan favorite of Wolfpack Nation."
Dan Olson (Director of ESPNW HoopGurlz and the Collegiate Girls Basketball Report): "Konig has a confident disposition and is a threat with the ball in her hands. She has range, deep range, and can beat you off the dribble or from behind the line. Konig is a crafty, cerebral combo guard who is unselfish, finds her teammates, and distributes the ball."
Keil Moore (National Recruiting Analyst for ProspectsNation and Director of Scouting for JumpOffPlus): "Konig is one of the premier scoring guards in all of prep basketball. She has the ability to play on and off the ball for NC State and possesses great size for either position. Konig gives this class a talented offensive performer who can create her own shot off the bounce or run a team and facilitate the offense."
Kiana "Lucky" Rudd | 5-9 G | Thomasville, N.C.
Four-star rated and given a scouts grade of 94, Kiana "Lucky" Rudd is the No. 78 overall prospect and No. 19 guard in the class of 2016.
Nicknamed "Lucky" due to the timely nature of her birth, the New Hope Christian Academy guard is coached by her father, Delaney, who is a Wake Forest alum and former NBA player. Lucky averaged 8.5 points and 1.3 assists per game during the 2013-14 season and upped both of those totals in 2014-15, scoring 12.5 points and dishing out 1.9 assists per contest.
Lucky led the New Hope Phoenix to the 2015 National Independent School Athletic Association National Championship on March 8, earning Tournament MVP honors along the way.
Wes Moore: "Lucky is a great shooter from deep behind the arc and also possesses an explosive first step, making her a matchup nightmare for most opponents. A scoring threat with the ball or off the ball, she and Ace will compliment one another well and form a great 1-2 punch. Lucky will also be a playmaker on the defensive end for us."
Dan Olson: "Rudd is a superb scorer, a knock down jump shooter to the arc, and has added a creative mid-range game. Taught by an ACC legend in her father (Delaney), Kiana has solid guard skills, executes in a half-court game and has a high basketball IQ."
Keil Moore: "Rudd is one of the better shooters in the country. Over the past couple of years she has developed her ability to score off the bounce and will be able to bring both perimeter shooting and playmaking to the NC State backcourt. Rudd is a quality athlete who should be a key defender during her career."
Erika Cassell | 6-2 F | Marietta, Ga.
Four-star rated and given a scouts grade of 94, Erika Cassell is the No. 88 overall prospect and No. 16 forward in the class of 2016. She plays high school basketball for Holy Innocents' Episcopal School.
During both her sophomore and junior seasons, Holy Innocents' Episcopal School was a 5A Regional Champion and finished in second place at the Georgia State Championship. Cassell was a team captain both seasons. Her junior season was exceptionally strong, as she was named AJC Second Team All-State, earned a spot on the Naismith Trophy Midseason Award Watch List, was named to the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Team, and helped her team win a school-record 31 games.
In addition to Erika's impressive athletic accomplishments, she also spends significant time off the court participating in charitable activities. Cassell began volunteering with the Atlanta Mission for Women and Children during her junior year and has spent her entire high school career participating in various breast cancer awareness events for both the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and Susan G Komen charity.
Wes Moore: "Erika is an athletic forward with a high motor on both ends of the floor. She is a versatile scorer that is aggressive in the paint, but also has the ability to step out and bury the three. A relentless force on the boards, Erika is someone who can definitely rebound outside of her area."
Dan Olson: "Erika has a workhorse mentality in the paint with post play technique that earns her points in the paint and at the foul line. She gives a consistent effort at both ends of the floor."
Keil Moore: "Cassell is a forward who has continued to improve and mature every year of her prep career. She is an active interior presence who has developed the ability to step away from the rim and make open shots. Cassell brings a great balance of will and skill to the Wolfpack roster and should also make a lasting impression on and off the floor with her energy."
#WolfpackWomen
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