Kevin Keatts Radio Show Recap (12/22) : Bulleted

Here are the highlights from the Kevin Keatts radio show last night at Jimmy V’s Osteria and Bar in downtown Raleigh.

• Game before the holidays can be dangerous if you don’t address it. Team needs to stay focused. Going on vacation regardless and Christmas will be that much better if you going into it with a win.
• Hopefully NCAA adopts a policy that allows 3 days off before Christmas and 3 days after. Family is so important, so it’s good to be able to get away from basketball for a bit and be with them.
• Family is very important. When you recruit a kid, it’s not about that moment. It’s about being there for them for the rest of their life. Right now there are 3 guys that played for Keatts on NC State’s roster (be it from UNCW or Hargrave).
• Bigs are the strength of this team. Lennard shooting over 70% and Omer closing in on that number. (30-37 over last 3 games). This system is good for bigs if they duck in and rim-run. They get easy buckets. Last year at UNCW their center shot 80%.
• UNCG loss was tough. Losing your PG minutes before you play is hard to overcome. That’s the worst guy to lose.That’s like losing your QB. Had to adjust, but for the first time, Dorn and Abu played at the same time. Chemistry was out of sync.
• 3pt line is the great equalizer and against UNCG team just did not defend the 3.
• Recruiting wise, Keatts doesn’t look for straight shooters. He recruits multi-dimensional guys. Need to be able to defend, handle the ball and make shots. If you have shot makers, you’ll be successful.
• Golden State Warriors changed the way basketball is played and the way people report on it. Shooting from all 5 positions is now what excites people. Not just the highlight reel dunk or the flashy pass.
• (jokingly) I’m not calling Torin Dorn a warrior until he gets 20 rebounds in a game. Then again, if he gets 20 boards, where were the other guys? Where were Omer and Lennard?
• The halftime speech at the Robert Morris game was the roughest the team has heard. It was…different. They needed to wake up. They gave up 50% in the first half. Keatts didnt like that. 2nd half they shot 25%. That first half was not NC State basketball
• Key to Lennard Freeman’s game has been a development of his right hand. He’s a righty who liked to finish with his left. When Keatts arrived they had to work on finishing with the right.
• Lavar Batts did a great job coming in and changing the game defensively. He is going to have a great career in a Wolfpack uniform. He is earning his playing time and improving every day.
• Jacksonville can spread you out and hit 3s. They can shoot it out of 4 spots. They will play a 2-2-1, some man and even som 2-3 zone.