NC State fans are going to love Annsley Trivette. That was already the feeling back home in the mountains before she ever played a minute in Raleigh, and the two exhibition games just made it obvious for the people in Reynolds Coliseum too.

Against High Point she only got about nine minutes, but she scored eight points on 4-of-6 shooting and grabbed a couple of rebounds. Nothing fancy, just clean and physical. After the game Coach Moore said, “Ansley’s going to play hard. Ansley’s blue-collar. She’s going to get in there. She’s a freshman, so she’s going to make mistakes. You’re looking for effort, and I think she’s somebody who’s shown she may provide some depth and come in and help us.” When you actually watch her play, the blue-collar part is true. The deal is she’s good at it. She gets in there, plays hard, and makes the effort stuff look useful instead of just busy.

Against UNCW she played more, around 15 minutes. She scored four points on a perfect night from the floor, grabbed a rebound, and dished a team-high six assists while the Pack was in control. The older players noticed. After the game Khamil Pierre said, “I think they’re both (Pruitt and Trivette) very talented. Annsley works out with me every morning. She works extremely hard and she’s just eager to be better each and every day. I think it’s really cool to not only see her get good minutes, but see her show her work.”

People back home in the mountains are already proud. A Southwest Virginia FB page posted about her night against UNCW and told her to keep representing the mountains. The comments were full of the usual hometown stuff; proud of you AJ, notes about her passing, and how she isn’t afraid to mix it up down low. For a kid who just led Abingdon to a state title and was a multi-sport standout before that, the connection is real.

She’s still a freshman, so there will be mistakes. But the blue-collar effort is real when you watch her, and she’s good at the things that effort is supposed to produce. The quick comfort with the older players and the fact that people from Abingdon are already claiming her on social media is exactly the kind of stuff that gets Reynolds Coliseum invested early. I have been saying Pack Fans are going to love her. The first two looks make that feel like a pretty safe bet.