North Carolina’s Jada Boyd, 5, is in the basket during the first half of the University of Connecticut’s game against North Carolina State University in the Bridgeport Regional Finals at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Monday, March 28, 2022. drive.
ehyman@newsobserver.com
North Carolina forward Jada Boyd will not be part of the Wolfpack team this season.
A native of Petersburg, Virginia, Boyd has been a key reserve in the pack for the past three seasons.She won’t be starting school this fall, according to a North Carolina spokeswoman. Matti Smith confirmed to The News & Observer.
As a sophomore, Boyd was named ACC Co-Sixth Player of the Year.
“Jada is a great player with valuable ACC and big-game experience,” North Carolina State University head coach Wes Moore said in a statement. Thank you for everything and wish her all the best.”
In three seasons, Boyd appeared in 83 games and made seven career starts.In her career, she averaged 8.6 points per game. In her sophomore year, Boyd came off the bench where she averaged 11.5 points per game.
In 2021-22, she helped lead NC State to their third consecutive ACC tournament title. She was named to the All-Tournament Team after the Puck defeated Miami in the Championship Game. 64.7% field goal success rate.
What does this mean for North Carolina?
Having lost four starters from last season’s elite eight team, Boyd, Jaquia Brown Turner and Camille Hobie were perhaps the most experienced players to return to NC State this season. The trio were part of the same recruiting class. Brown-Turner has been a starter since his freshman season. Boyd and Hobie were expected to join Brown Turner in the starting five.
So who is the frontrunner to replace Boyd in rotation?
The transfer portal this offseason has been good for Moore, so he has options. Former Maryland forward Mimi Collins and former South Carolina guard Sanya Rivers moved to North Carolina.
The 6.3-foot Collins averaged 8 points and 5 rebounds for the Terrapins last season, making him a more true post presence.
Rivers, on the other hand, is a versatile player who can handle the ball and score when needed. Rivers made 27 appearances for the Nationals last season with his champion Gamecocks. Moore has called Jones the glue of the team over the past three years. It would be natural for Rivers to fill the hole left by Jones.
This story was originally published August 12, 2022 at 5:31 p.m.
Sports Reporter Jonas Pope IV has covered college recruitment, high school sports, Central North Carolina, North Carolina and ACC for the Herald Sun and News & Observer.
