JACKSONVILLE - North Florida women's basketball opens its 2020-21 slate at No. 6/8 NC State on Wednesday afternoon at the William Neal Reynolds Coliseum.

FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

• North Florida returns four players who saw time last season in Jazz Bond, Emma Broermann, Rhetta Moore and Tiffany Tolbert. Those players are 43 percent of its scoring from last year led by Jazz Bond (13.6 ppg) and Tiffany Tolbert (8.7 ppg). 
• North Florida was picked to finish third in the ASUN preseason poll - its highest ranking under sixth-year head coach Darrick Gibbs.
• Senior Jazz Bond was picked as the ASUN Player and Defensive Player of the Year by the league's coaches. She earned her second straight nod to the ASUN All-Conference second team last season. Bond led the team with 13.6 ppg and 87 total blocks.
• The Ospreys and NC State have faced off just once before with the Pack coming away with the 78-52 victory, however there is not a single player on either roster that was part of that game.
• Sixth-year head coach Darrick Gibbs led the Ospreys to back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in the Division I era. North Florida also made it to three straight ASUN semifinal games under his tutelage.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT

NC STATE

• Ranked eighth by the AP, sixth by USA Today and seventh by ESPN
• Returning nine players and four starters from last season's squad that went 28-4 overall and won the ACC Tournament
• All-American and First Team All-ACC honoree Elissa Cunane is among the Pack's returners after leading NC State in scoring (16.4, 524 total points), rebounding (9.6), field-goal percentage (.547) and blocks (35) in 2019-20
• NC State capped off one of the best seasons in its 46-year history by winning the 2020 ACC Tournament on March 8.
• Lost just one starter from last year's team

Due to health and safety recommendations and current state guidelines, home NC State women's basketball games are closed to the public.

FOLLOW THE ACTION:

Stay connected with the Ospreys all season long by following @OspreyWBB and @UNFOspreys on Twitter for all of the latest UNF women's basketball updates. Be sure to use the hashtag #SWOOPLife.