Keatts presser after win over Wake Forest (BULLETED)

Kevin Keatts met with the media to discuss NC State’s win over Wake F0rest. Here is the summary of what he had to say…

• Tough battle, Wake fought until the end.
• Thought Yurtseven was big. Moved him around and he hit some 3s. Markell has been special. 34 minutes played, 10 assists, 2 turnovers.
• Found a way to win. Did not play well over the last 8 minutes, but found a way to win. Excited about it.
• Told team that they went through a stretch where they couldn’t score and it affected their whole game. Told them to stay the course. Don’t define how you’re playing by whether you are scoring or not.
• Team is starting to trust in one another
• 3pt shooting was good. Hit 45%, 11 3s. But really happy with how team defended the 3 pt line on the other end.
• Mental toughness has been built little by little with every game won. Builds confidence. Certain games helped a lot. Season could have been very different with a loss at Pitt. Found a way to win.
• Took over a group that hadn’t had much success. Made everything competitive and it’s working.
• Freeman has played 2 great games. Been patient, picked his spots. Has become more mature and more of a leader. Only guy on this team that has played meaningful basketball in February and it’s starting to show.
• Doesn’t pick an ice cream place before the game. It’s bad luck.
• Continue to win and anything is possible. Put ourselves in a great position here. Won’t say they are in NCAA Tourney, but will say team has great wins and has done everything an NCAA Tournament team should do. Win on the road, having great wins. Put ourselves in good position.
• Al Freeman being a 5th year guy, coming to a new school and new system. You’re going to force stuff early on. He has learned to trust others. Showed a lot in Syracuse game. Could have forced a lot of shots but didn’t.
• When team goes on small stretches where ball won’t go in, just said in huddle to stay the course on the defensive end.