Why NC State is confident in freshman F Musa Sagnia’s growth as ACC play begins

Quadir Copeland and Ven-Allen Lubin bounded into the cramped media room inside the bowels of the Lenovo Center in a jubilant mood. They bounced as they walked in, but before sitting down at the table on the small riser, the two tried to get freshman forward Musa Sagnia to take the middle seat.  The soft-spoken native of The Gambia in West Africa had yet to make his debut in an NC State postgame press conference this season, so the veteran duo tried to get him to sit front and center. They begged for him to take the middle seat in front of about a dozen media members after the Wolfpack’s 70-57 win over Wake Forest on New Year’s Eve, but he reluctantly sat in the chair on the far left.  Though Sagnia was looking to avoid being the center of attention, Copeland, an outgoing point guard, was quick to make sure everyone knew to focus on the first-year collegiate player.  “Please, at least two [questions],” Copeland said of Sagnia with a laugh. “My man’s first time. Ask him at least two.” Sagnia, after all, had earned his right to sit in the makeshift interview room. He turned in yet another solid performance, his second in as many games while he’s started to carve out a significant role within NC State’s rotation.