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NC State hired Kevin Keatts today, according to reports. They will have a team meeting tonight.

Most of you know Keatts from Hargrave, where he coached former NC State point guard Lorenzo Brown. During Brown’s recruitment, we had the chance to speak with Keatts on numerous occasions. He is a good basketball mind and gave a lot of good insight into the recruiting process.

After Hargrave, he went to Louisville to become to the top recruiter for Rick Pitino’s squad. While there, he landed some impressive classes and started to make a name for himself. After his run with the Cardinals, Keatts took his first head coaching job at UNC-Wilmington. His work there is why he is currently on the Wolfpack’s radar.

In his three years at UNCW, Keatts has taken a struggling program and put them back on the map. Wilmington has finished 1st (or tied for first) in all three seasons under Keatts. He also won coach of the year in his first campaign.

So really, there is a lot to like about Kevin Keatts. He seems to check a lot of the boxes for the Wolfpack, but there is one thing that worries some. Keatts has yet to beat a top 50 school or even beat a team from a power 5 conference. So he has proven that he can win and win big in the Colonial Conference, but will that translate to the ACC? That’s what we’re about to find out.

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Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago

Alright I am now sold on Keatts. The man speaks in 3rd person. Quote from Keatts at Press conference – “Kevin Keatts is a winner”.

wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago
Reply to  Wolfer96

You have to be kidding. Why didn’t Yow wait until the tournament was at least thru the first weekend? I grew up watching four corners basketball and do not enjoy a bunch of running and gunning without playing defense. Sorry, I don’t have as positive feeling about the coach as most of the Kool-Aid drinkers do.

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago

Here’s what I like and dislike about this hire:

Like:
Disciple of Rick Pitino
Good recruiter?
Comes from winning program (turned around losing program)
2 of 3 seasons made it to NCAA’s

Dislike:
Only 3 years head coaching exp
Coached against lesser talent
Does not have any big wins in 3 seasons at Wilmington
Has not made it past 1st round of CIT or NCAA
Poor defensive rankings

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago

I’ll be the 1st to admit that I was wrong about him if he wins consistently and has the team rolling by year 4. But his defensive rankings in 3 seasons as HC at Wilmington leave a lot to be desired. One of the biggest criticisms of Gott was his inability to coach defense and then we hire another guy who by the numbers is also bad at coaching defense.

wolfpack74
wolfpack74
7 years ago

I now understand what is happening. State is leaving the ACC and joining the Colonial conference. Good move, Yow.

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago

Nothing we can do now. It’s done. I guess Yow will have to retire and hang her hat on wrestling and swimming. I will support the new coach and I want him to do well but right now I just don’t know how he is the best choice?

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago

Wasn’t he involved with that prostitution fiasco at Louisville?

Wolfer96
Wolfer96
7 years ago

OMG Yow is a moron! This was a guy that should have been plan D or F. Not plan B! She was so embarassed by her last search that she made sure to end the pain fast this time and settle on a complete noob.

NC State Basketball

NC State has Won 5 ACC Championships this Year

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NC State has won 5 ACC Championships this year, which is the most of any athletic program in the conference this year.

The Wolfpack has won ACC Titles in Women’s Cross Country, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Wrestling, Men’s Basketball and Gymnastics.

The last time NC State won 5 ACC Championships in one year was 1979-80.

As far as I can tell, here’s a look at the Wolfpack Conference Titles from 1979-80:

Football
Women’s Basketball
Women’s Cross Country
Men’s Swimming & Diving
Men’s Tennis

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NC State Basketball

NC State is 1 of 4 Schools to Have Both Men & Women’s Basketball Teams in Sweet 16

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NC State is 1 of 4 schools to have their Men and Women’s Basketball teams BOTH advance to the Sweet 16, along with Duke, Gonzaga and UCONN.

NC State and Duke are the only two schools in the country to send both Basketball teams to the Sweet 16, and also send the Football team to a bowl game.

This marks only the third time in school history that BOTH teams made the Sweet 16.

Years NC State’s Men & Women’s Teams Made the Sweet 16

1985
1989
2024

Despite the fact that the Men’s team has made the Elite 8 six times (1950, 1951, 1974, 1983, 1985, 1986), and the Women have made it 2 times (1998 & 2022), in the three occasions they both went to the Sweet 16 in the same year, neither team advanced to the Elite 8.

In 2024, Why Not Us?

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NC State Basketball

#3 seed NC State Holds on Against #6 Seed Tennessee, Defeating the Vols 79-72 to Advance to the Sweet 16

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#3 seed NC State held on last night, defeating #6 seed Tennessee 79-72 in Reynolds Coliseum to advance to the Sweet 16 for the 5th time in the last 6 tournaments.

The Wolfpack led by only 1 after the 1st Quarter, but they looked like they had things under control at halftime, leading by 18 points.

At one point, NC State led by as much as 20 points in the 3rd Quarter, but the Lady Volunteers weren’t about to give up.

With 4:19 left in the 4th, Tennessee cut the lead to 2 points, but NC State might have bent, but they wouldn’t break.

Junior Guard Aziaha James led the way with 22 points and 7 assists, which were both team highs. She scored 7 points in the final 3.5 minutes, helping to squash tue Last Vols’ comeback attempt.

Junior Guard Saniya Rivers had 20 points (6-14 FG) and 6 boards.

Freshman Zoe Brooks was clutch off the bench, chipping in 16 points and 6 boards.

This marks the 16th time the NC State Women’s Basketball team has advanced to the Sweet 16.

The Wolfpack will play #2 seed Stanford on Friday night at 7:30pm on ESPN in Portland.

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NC State Basketball

A Historical Breakdown of the Series Between NC State & Marquette

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#11 seed NC State will play #2 seed Marquette in the Sweet 16 on Friday night, which will mark the 6th time the two teams have played one another.

The first time the Wolfpack and the Golden Eagles played one another was also in the NCAA Tournament, and it just so happened to be the 1974 Championship game, with NC State winning the game 76-64, giving the Pack their first National Championship.

Wolfpack led the way with 21 points, and Tommy Burleson had a double-double of 14 points and 11 boards, with 7 blocks, which is tied for the 8th most in school history in a single game.

NC State also had 12 steals in the game, which is the most by a Pack team in an NCAA Tournament game.

The next time the two teams would meet was on January 21st, in Reynolds Coliseum. The Wolfpack won 89-76, and it was a night for the history books for Point Guard Chris Corchiani. In that game, set ACC career records for assists with 861 and steals with 276.

The following year, the Golden Eagles picked up their first win against the Wolfpack, winning 66-42 in Milwaukee.

It would be over 15 years before NC State and Marquette would play one another again, and this time it would once again be a home-and-home series in back-to-back years.

On December 22nd, 2008, the Wolfpack lost a close one at home, falling 65-68. Wolfpack Forward Brandon Costner hit all five 3-Point attempts in that game, which still stands as the best 3-Point Percentage in a single game in school history.

The following year, on December 5th, 2009, the Wolfpack would claim the lead in the series again, defeating the Golden Eagles 77-73 on the road. NC State big man Tracy Smith had a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds. Point Guard Javier Gonzalez had 15 points and 7 assists, and Wing Scott Wood knocked down 4 of his 6 three-point attempts.

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