The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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18 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK At the conclusion of the winter sports season for the Learfield Direc- tors' Cup, NC State stood in fifth place nationally and was first among all ACC schools. The Learfield Directors' Cup is an annual competition to measure the overall competitiveness of a school's athletics program. The standings will count the top 19 sports for each program, but four of them must in- clude men's and wom- en's basketball, women's volleyball and baseball. NC State was buoyed in the winter by the suc- cesses of wrestling and men's swimming and diving, both of which took home fourth-place finishes at the NCAA Championships and scored a combined 157.5 points. Women's basket- ball reached the Sweet 16 to score 64 points, and men's basketball's at-large bid into the Big Dance contributed 25 points. Also scoring in the winter was gymnastics, which added 59.25 points after winning the East Atlantic Gymnastics League title and then finishing third in the NCAA Regional, which it hosted in Raleigh. Women's swimming and diving's 18th-place finish at the NCAA Championships added 56 points. The men's and women's indoor track teams combined to add 57.5 points. Stanford, Penn State, Michigan and Ohio State, in that order, were the top four teams in the standings. According to a database of ath- letic budgets from 2015- 16 — compiled by USA Today and released in June 2017 — Ohio State (third nationally, $170.1 million), Michi- gan (fifth, $163.9 mil- lion) and Penn State (12th, $132.2 million) had considerably more resources than NC State (44th, $80.2 million). Stanford's budget was not available. NC State's highest- ever finish in the Di- rectors' Cup is 27th in 2014-15. The Wolf- pack's 722.75 points through the winter nearly exceeds its total of 724.50 points accumulated that year. Spring, however, has not always been NC State's strongest season. Last year, the Pack sat 16th nationally through the winter but fell to 29th after the spring sports were compiled. — Matt Carter NC State's gymnastics team won a conference title and finished third in the NCAA Regional. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS NC State Sits In Top Five Of Directors' Cup Standings NC State redshirt freshman defensive tackle Grant Gibson was a standout at center for prep powerhouse Charlotte (N.C.) Mallard Creek — winning three North Carolina 4AA state titles — but he figures he only logged about 40 snaps at defensive tackle. The 6-1, 309-pounder was able to use his redshirt year to get up to speed at his new position. Gibson was named the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year, and he had six tackles in the Kay Yow Spring Game April 7 at Carter-Finley Stadium. Rivals.com rated him as a four-star prospect, the No. 8 player in North Carolina and the No. 19 defensive tackle in the country in his class. The Charlotte, N.C., native recently took some time with The Wolf - packer to discuss his first year at NC State. How was spring practice for you? "This spring has been good for me because I had some time off this past year with my redshirt. It's been good to apply the things that I learned during that time off the field. "I've been able to get some reps and go up against some good offensive linemen. I've enjoyed the spring and feel like I've improved my game since I've gotten here." How does your past experience playing center help you at defensive tackle? "It actually does help because there are certain things that I can see, like their splits or their hands. There are things I can see because I played on the O-line. "I feel like that helps my game a little bit. I don't jump the snap, but I know where the play is going before it starts." What were you thinking before the snap when you played center, and conversely, what is the thought process at defensive tackle? What was a favorite Mallard Creek play that showed what you were thinking? "Power is when I snapped the ball, the guard pulled and I did a back block. We also had a screen play. It was fun for me because I was able to run finally. I tried to see where my guy could be by the time that I snapped it. "At defensive tackle there are certain things you see with guys on the O-line, like they might be staring where they are going. Certain guys if they have to pull, they'll be real light on their hands. "I'm just trying to pick up on something. My dad always taught me to use stuff that you know." How much defensive tackle did you get to play your senior year at Mallard Creek? "That has always been where my love has been, along the defensive line. I had to learn a lot [this past year]. I hadn't gotten any game reps in almost a year. "I played on the O-line at Mallard Creek. That is what we preach there — it is team first. I understood, but in my off time, I would do some de - fensive line drills to improve myself. "As soon as I got up here, I had to learn from [Bradley] Chubb and B.J. [Hill], and learn some techniques from them. It is two different games from high school to college. The game speed is more intense. The guys are stronger, and if you play with bad technique, it's not going to work. "I have tried to take the time to learn, and I'm coming around now. I am very hyped for this year and feel like we will have a good team. If we continue to work hard, we'll be where we need to be." What was it about NC State that led you to make a verbal commit- ment early in the process? "NC State feels like home. What I liked about this place is that they told me I was going to earn everything. I've been up here for almost a year and three months, and I feel like I've had to work hard for all the stuff that was handed to me. "The thing I like the most is that we hold each other to a higher stan- dard. Like if a guy slacks off in class, I'll be like, 'You've got to get your class stuff together because we need you on the field.' You have to hold each other accountable. "It can be small stuff, like if you are late to tutoring. You have to pay for that. If you don't take care of your work in the classroom, you can't play. That is something that I have enjoyed since I've been up here." — Jacey Zembal Getting To Know: Redshirt Freshman DT Grant Gibson After being named the 2017 Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year, Gibson recorded six tack- les in the Kay Yow Spring Game April 7. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS