PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Last year he was part of something magical, from a basketball standpoint. This year, it feels even better for Robert Morris guard Kam Woods.
Woods had just transferred to NC State from North Carolina A&T before the 2023-24 season. Following a loss to Pitt on March 9, the Wolfpack was 17-14 and had to play as the 10th seeded team to open the ACC Tournament with an afternoon game. Over the span of five consecutive days, NC State beat Louisville, Syracuse, Duke, Virginia and North Carolina. It was their only path to the NCAA Tournament, but after getting in, they would beat Duke again in the Elite Eight to reach the Final Four.
Now Woods is back in March Madness, again his team had to win its conference tournament to get in the NCAAs.
“It felt different,” Woods said Sunday about this year compared to last. “This year I’m playing more. I’m really like a big factor that goes into us playing well. It definitely feels way different, even though we went to the Final Four, I think this feeling is unreal.”
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What else makes this unique for Woods is he said last year he was on a team that already ‘had their setup’. This team is trying to find it.
“You would think we are in middle school still grinding to make the middle school team how we practice,” Woods said.
That goes back to his head coach Andy Toole. Woods said from his first conversation with Toole they understood where each other stood. He knew he could come to Moon Township and impact the game in many ways.
Now he is sharing all he knows with his teammates, especially how to approach Friday’s 12:40p tipoff.
“Just think of it as a regular game,” Woods said. “The feeling it going to be the same. More people are going to be watching, but at the same time, you shoot the ball from the same length. The goal is 10 feet. You are playing with the same ball and they are waking up the same way as you.”
“Just do you. Don’t do anything different. Don’t try to be a hero. That’s what most people mess up in around this time, trying to be a hero. Especially coming from a small school playing on a big stage. Just play our basketball and we’ll be great.”
He then said something that you could envision the greatest coaches in any sport saying over the course of history.
“The whole summer you are going to be thinking about the last game,” Woods said. “Let’s give it all we got. Whether we come up short or not, you don’t want to regret all summer going to the gym. That’s all you are going to think about when you pick up a basketball every day until the next season starts.”
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