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NC State Found a Unicorn in Kevin Keatts

Published

5 years ago

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Coaches like NC State’s Kevin Keatts are few and far between.

Some coaches are strictly disciplinarians. They are straight business. Often they don’t know how to smile. They don’t care if you like them. The media is nothing but a nuisance and a distraction from priorities. Being a ‘players coach’ isn’t a compliment to them. They think Twitter is a futile waste of time.

On the other side of the spectrum, some coaches live for the limelight. They are the players best friend and surrogate father. They treat press conferences like it’s a weekly show. They are their own brand. They are entertaining. Players are drawn to play for them because of their charisma.

Keatts is the best of both of these worlds.

He is a disciplinarian. He was the head coach at military academy for 10 years (and assistant for 2 more) at Hargrave.

Recent quotes from Keatts:

”I’ll tell y’all a secret. If a player has a breakdown on the defensive end, he’s probably coming out”

“If you don’t play hard, somebody else is going to get your minutes”

Markell Johnson didn’t start against Penn State because he was late for practice three days before the game.

Keatts has a no cell phone policy. No cell phones in team meetings or team dinners. Players aren’t allowed to talk on the phone on the team bus. He makes them stand up in group settings, and introduce one of their teammates, sharing something personal about them.

He runs these players fill there is no body fat left. It’s called ‘Keatts Shape.’

What makes Keatts unique, is that he is all of that, but he is also one of the most likable coaches I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t see the media as a nuisance. He knows them by name, and respects and answers their questions. Keatts smile and swagger is infectious. His style is second-to-none. No coach is going to compete with his suit-game, and he rocked wolf-head Gucci shoes on the sidelines the other night. Keatts takes his team out for ice cream anytime they win a road game. He dances in the locker room after every victory. It’s nearly impossible for anyone not to like him, or want to be around him.

It’s very hard to possess both of these coaching styles. There is a tension that typically pulls a coach to chose one side, and dismiss the other. The balancing act of the two is too daunting for most.

Finding someone who embraces the tension successfully, and seemingly naturally, is like finding a unicorn.

Kevin Keatts is a unicorn.

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Matthew is Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, and is in charge of business strategy. He is an NC State alum who majored in business. Matthew is also the lead pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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wolfpackjay
wolfpackjay
5 years ago

So true, and also true is that everyone he has worked with loves him and roots for him

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NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill Commits to NC State!

Published

22 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 Basketball

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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NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

Published

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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NC State Basketball

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

Published

4 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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