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Kevin Keatts Presser After Win Over #2 Duke :: Bulleted

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6 years ago

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Kevin Keatts met with the media after NC State’s huge upset win over #2 Duke. Above is the full press conference video (Via NC State athletics) and below is the summary.

 

  • When PNC is packed, could be the toughest place to play in America. The fans were great and got them through spurts when Duke was on a run.
  • Talked all week about playing together and how that is the only way for this team to be successful. Team had 17 assists and only 10 turnovers.
  • Told team if they win they’ll have to win on the boards. They did, getting 14 offensive rebounds to their 12 and beating them overall in rebounding.
  • Credit to Duke. They are a good team, but credit these guys for bouncing back after two tough road losses to open ACC play and getting this huge win.
  • Batts grew up tonight. He came in at a time when NC State needed energy and he provided it. He and Braxton are babies being asked to grow up quick and they’re doing a great job with it.
  • Duke was ACC’s best offensive rebounding team, NC State is ACC’s 11th best defensive rebounding team, but team talked about having to beat Duke there and talked about not just the bigs, but the whole team had to fight for rebounds and block out. Outrebounding them says a lot about the team.
  • Team never lost confidence during first 2 ACC losses. State was one of two teams that started ACC play on the road. Needed to get home, sleep in own beds and get home cooking.
  • Sharing the ball better in this one started with Al Freeman. Sat down with Freeman and told him that if we’re is going to be successful we’re going to have to play off of each other. Best games all season are when everyone has shared the ball.
  • Told team at end of first half to stay the course and not allow a Duke run. Made sure Duke didn’t get out and get points in transition. Made them play against a half-court defense.
  • Told team that they were about to play against Grayson Allen and 4 freshmen who were in high school last year. Asked them to use their experience and play like veterans and they all did.
  • Omer did a really good job tonight. Scored around the basket and actually played good defense, even though when you look at it, you’ll see Bagley had 31 points and 10 boards, but he’s just that good.
  • First ACC win. So best so far. But told team, don’t be satisfied. We aren’t just trying to beat the #2 team in the nation, we are building a program that wins consistently every night.
  • Been tough to see team not shoot it well in games, when they shoot it well in practice. Team practices really hard and it all translated to the game this time.
  • Need to tell team that everyone is ranked #2. Seems like they play best when they face #2 ranked teams. But it’s key to play at home, so far in ACC, 70-80% of the home teams have won, so it was important to come home. Team felt comfortable, fans were tremendous.
  • Lavar playing better has helped the team be able to give rests to Beverly and Al. Hunt playing better also, but Lavar is coming and it’s really helping the team.
  • Great to have 3 front court guys that are basically starters. Can rotate them in and out and you feel comfortable with them in there. Big bonus.

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NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill Commits to NC State!

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13 hours ago

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April 25, 2024

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Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill (6’4″/185) has committed to NC State!

Hill took an Official Visit to NC State this past weekend.

This past season, Hill averaged 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Falcons. He earned 1st Team All-MAC honors. Even though he was only at Bowling Green one season, he had one of the best seasons in school history, scoring 698 points, which ranks 5th all-time in program history for a single season.

For his first two years of collegiate ball, Hill played for Southern Union State College (JUCO) in Alabama. In 2022-23, Hill earned 3rd Team NJCAA All-American honors, and ranked as the #32 overall Junior College prospect.

247Sports ranks Hill as a 4-Star Transfer Prospect, and the #81 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #11 Shooting Guard.

Even though 247Sports and ON3 consider Hill a Shooting Guard, NC State is recruiting him as a Point Guard.

Hill is the 4th player to transfer to NC State this offseason, joining Louisville’s Brandon Huntley-Hatfield & Mike James, and Georgetown’s Dontrez Styles.

With the addition of Hill, NC State now has 1 scholarship remaining for next season.

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NC State’s Mohamed Diarra Will Not Return to NC State for Final Season

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2 days ago

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April 24, 2024

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NC State Forward Mohamed Diarra will not be returning to NC State for his final season of eligibility. Rather, he will give 100% of his focus to pursuing his professional career.

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Diarra is declaring for the NBA Draft, and will explore that possibility as far as it goes, but the likelihood of him playing professionally in his home country of France are high.

Diarra was a significant player for NC State all season long, averaging 6.3 points and 7.8 rebounds (team high), but his impact in March was tremendous, recording 10+ rebounds in 7 of the Wolfpack’s 10 postseason games, and five of those performances were double-doubles.

Wolfpack fans will always remember the grit and mental toughness that Diarra put on display in the NCAA Tournament, playing game-after-game while fasting for Ramadan.

The Wolfpack’s frontcourt just got a little bit thinner. In the past two weeks, NC State has lost Diarra and Ernest Ross.  Ben Middlebrooks is returning, and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield transferred in from Louisville. Dontrez Styles transferred in from Georgetown, and while he is more of a Small Forward, in certain lineups, he could play the Small 4 position. With all that being said, I fully expect NC State to try to find another post player in the Transfer Portal with Diarra’s exodus now official.

With Diarra not returning in 2024, NC State now has 2 scholarships available for next season.

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

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3 days ago

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April 23, 2024

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Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) has announced his commitment to NC State!

 

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A post shared by Tipton Edits (@tiptonedits)

This past year, James averaged 12.6 points per game (3rd on the team) and 5 rebounds. He’s extremely physical and aggressive, taking 47% of his field goal attempts at the rim (making 46%). As a result, he draws a lot of fouls, ranking 10th in the ACC in Fouls Drawn, and 4th in Free Throw Rate. James made opponents pay this year when they put him on the line, making 81.8% from the charity stripe, which ranked 15th in the ACC.

James shot the ball better as a Redshirt Freshman, than he did this past season. His Effective Field Goal Percentage in 2022-23 was 55.8%, which ranked 19th in the ACC, and his True Shooting Percentage of 59.6% ranked 14th.

News broke about James entering the Transfer Portal back on March 25th, and NC State was quick to reach out. Kevin Keatts and his staff recruited the former 4-star prospect out of high school heavily, but he ultimately chose the Cardinals.

After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years.

He does have the ability to knock down a three, making 34.8% for his career.

James has 2 years of eligibility remaining. With James’ commitment, NC State currently has 1 scholarship available for next season.

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Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill is on a Visit to NC State

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3 days ago

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April 22, 2024

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Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill (6’4″/185) confirmed with me that he is currently on a visit at NC State.

Hill averaged 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Falcons this season. He earned 1st Team All-MAC honors. Even though he was only at Bowling Green one season, he had one of the best seasons in school history, scoring 698 points, which ranks 5th all-time in program history for a single season.

For his first two years of collegiate ball, Hill played for Southern Union State College (JUCO) in Alabama. In 2022-23, Hill earned 3rd Team NJCAA All-American honors, and ranked as the #32 overall Junior College prospect.

247Sports ranks Hill as a 4-Star Transfer Prospect, and the #78 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #11 Shooting Guard.

According to a source, the NC State Coaching Staff is extremely high on Hill, and they are recruiting him as a Point Guard.

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