NC State Basketball
NC State hires Kevin Keatts
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.
Confirmed that @PackMensBball has reached an agreement with @UNCWilmington coach Kevin Keatts.
— Jeff Gravley (@jgravleyWRAL) March 17, 2017
Alright I am now sold on Keatts. The man speaks in 3rd person. Quote from Keatts at Press conference – “Kevin Keatts is a winner”.
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.
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
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.
I now understand what is happening. State is leaving the ACC and joining the Colonial conference. Good move, Yow.
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?
Wasn’t he involved with that prostitution fiasco at Louisville?
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.