For a typical high school recruit, it’s never easy to choose an out-of-state school over an in-state school close to home. But Jakia Brown-Turner was no typical high school recruit, and her decision to choose NC State over Maryland is already paying dividends.
Brown-Turner, a former five-star recruit out of Bishop McNamara High School in Maryland, is the Wolfpack’s first McDonald’s All-American recruit since 2006. Ranked No. 16 in her class by ESPN, Brown-Turner could have stayed near home and gone to Maryland, which made her an official offer, but ultimately, head coach Wes Moore and the culture he has created at NC State swung her decision.
“I just really like the coaching staff here,” Brown-Turner said. “Everyone is friendly, and I think that they believed in me. I think they’re the right fit for me.”
As the top recruit in NC State’s best recruiting class in decades, Brown-Turner arrived on campus with the weight of an entire fanbase’s expectations on her shoulders. From day one, she’s delivered on those expectations. Despite being a freshman, she hasn’t had quite the learning curve most 18-year-olds do.
“It’s a big jump from high school to the ACC,” Moore said. “Jakia Brown-Turner, she comes in more prepared than most high school players … You’ve got to be prepared for a plethora of situations that you could face during the season, and that requires a lot of preparation, a whole lot of learning. But I think Jakia Brown-Turner is a little bit ahead of the curve.”
Although freshmen rarely fill key roles on Moore’s teams, Brown-Turner was named an opening night starter and has started all eight games. Fourth on the team in minutes per game, behind only veterans Aislinn Konig, Kayla Jones and Kai Crutchfield, Brown-Turner is averaging nine points per game, shooting 43.9% from the field and is knocking down 3-pointers at a 30% clip.
“I wasn’t really expecting to start, but I’m just happy that I had the opportunity to,” Brown-Turner said. “I worked hard during the summer, and our coaches have prepared … me to be able to make an impact. I feel like starting will make me more comfortable … It will help get me prepared for when I’m older.”
One of five new kids on the block, the 6-foot Brown-Turner quickly took to the veteran guards on the team, most of which have seen back-to-back Sweet 16 tournament appearances. Konig was a starter on both Sweet 16 squads and Crutchfield started last season, and the veteran backcourt duo has taken Brown-Turner under its wings.
“Kai, Ace, the guards that were already here, they’ve helped me immediately,” Brown-Turner said. “They knew that I was going to have to come in and make an impact, so the guards that were already here definitely helped me.”
It hasn’t all been easy buckets and praise from Moore, though. Brown-Turner has struggled on defense, leading the team in fouls and averaging just 0.5 blocks and steals per game. One of the biggest differences between high school and college basketball is the size and athleticism of everyone you’re playing with and against, and Brown-Turner is still adjusting to that.
Before the season, Moore described the freshmen adjusting to D1 basketball as “taking a sip out of a fire hose,” and although Brown-Turner has soared past that metaphor on offense, it’s not far from the truth defensively.
“We have to pay attention to the details, and details are the most important thing here,” Brown-Turner said. “It’s the same [as high school], but you just have to pay more attention to details and box out, and just always be on edge … I really have to work on defense.”
Although the defense has been lagging behind, Brown-Turner’s offense has been trending up. In an 87-70 win over St. Mary’s during a Thanksgiving break road trip, Brown-Turner scored a career-high 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting, including knocking down another career-high 3 of 4 shots from deep. She also snagged four rebounds in what was her best game of the season to date.
Like all athletes, especially college freshmen, she’s had some inconsistency; later in the Thanksgiving road trip, she scored just two points on 0-for-7 shooting against North Texas. But for a freshman starting on a team fresh off back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances and with ACC championship aspirations, Brown-Turner is fitting right in on the court for a program quickly rising up the ranks of the sport’s elites.
The NC State women’s basketball team won 77 games the last three seasons and is off to an 8-0 start this year. When asked her favorite part about being a part of such a talented team, Brown-Turner had a simple answer.
“Winning,” Brown-Turner said.
