Head Coach Kevin Keatts met with the media today before NC State hits the road to play UNC-Greensboro on Sunday. You can watch the video here, or check out a bulleted breakdown below.

• With us, it’s been a good week for us.
  • Even though I do think we’re playing good basketball because we’re only playing 8 guys in a game, we needed the week to be able to get some guys some rest.
  • We needed the week for some guys to study and take care of their academics.
  • Tried to break the week up.
    • The 1st couple of days, we got some shots up, and toward the end of this week, we started working toward UNCG.
• Jericole Hellems hasn’t practiced.
  • I will see him this morning. On the road recruiting yesterday, and I haven’t seen him since 2 days ago.
  • Probably be a game-time decision.
    • Got to make sure with our doctors and trainers that he’s fully healthy to be able to go.
    • He’s got to feel good about it, but I also have to feel good about it.
  • Had a low-grade concussion. Passed a couple of tests for the concussion.
  • As far as his back goes, it was great news. No fractures.
• Probably going to be a 7-man rotation against UNC-G.
  • Danny Dixon was able to go a couple of days ago and was able give us something in practice.
  • If Jericole doesn’t play, then hopefully we can get something out of Danny, which will give us the ability to play D.J. Funderburk a little bit at the 4-spot.
• It’s good to have the opportunity to be able to play on that court (UNC-G) because we will play the ACC Tournament there.
• Head Coach Wes Miller has done a good job at UNC-G.
  • They’ve gotten great wins over the years.
    • Beat Georgetown at Georgetown this year.
    • Kansas game was a really great game all the way up until the end.
    • Won against really good mid-major teams on the road.
    • We have the chance to go on the road and play against a very good mid-major team.
  • It’s a game that will be looked upon as a very good non-conference game for us.
• UNC-G plays with a lot of confidence.
  • Has some veteran guys.
    • James Dickey is a tremendous shot-blocker.
    • Isaiah Miller’s a very good player overall.
  • They shoot the basketball from 4 different positions.
  • Take a lot of threes
  • Tremendous job of mixing defenses up with a 1-2-2 press back to a man-to-man and sometimes zone.
    • They slow you down with their defensive press. They only have to defend you for 17-20 seconds, and if you get a little bit careless they’ll steal the ball from you.
• In regards to the loss to UNC-G 2 years ago, I care, but the players don’t.
  • They don’t know anything about it. They don’t remember the game.
  • I do. I didn’t realize that we were playing without Markell Johnson.
  • To their credit, they came on the road and got a very good road win.

NC State Men’s Basketball will play UNC-Greensboro on Sunday, but before they do, here’s a look at the Wolfpack’s ACC leaders.

Redshirt Senior Guard C.J. Bryce is NC State’s leader in scoring (15.8), rebounding (6.8) and field goal percentage (54.4%), ranking 8th, 13th and 3rd in those categories respectively.

Senior Point Guard Markell Johnson ranks 3rd in the ACC in assists (6.1), 4th in steals (1.88) and 7th in assists-to-turnover ratio (2.04). The Wolfpack likes to steal the ball, with Redshirt Junior Guard Devon Daniels ranking 7th (1.8) and Bryce ranking 10th (1.7).

Sophomore Forward Jericole Hellems ranks 6th in the conference in free throw percentage (80.6), and Bryce ranks 9th (78.1).

Junior Guard Braxton Beverly ranks 13th in the ACC in three-point field goals per game (2.0).

Redshirt Freshman big fella Manny Bates ranks 2nd in the conference in blocks (3.4).

After speaking with a source yesterday, I can confirm that NC State Forward Jericole Hellems has been cleared to practice.

On Saturday, Hellems was taken off the court in Winston-Salem on a stretcher, and was immediately taken to Baptist Hospital, after suffering a scary injury to his head and lower back scrapping for a rebound with 28 seconds to go.

He was released from the hospital the following day, returning to Raleigh to be monitored by NC State’s physicians.

While Hellems is cleared to practice, I can’t confirm to what degree he is practicing with the team, or if he will be able to play for the Wolfpack against UNCG this Sunday on the road.

Either way, this is huge news for NC State. Over the past three games, Hellems has been the most impressive player on the roster, in my opinion, and definitely the most improved. He is currently playing the best ball of his collegiate career, looking like the player that broke out at Peach Jam a few years back.

On the year, Hellems is averaging 12.3 points per game, which is tied for 2nd on the team, and is shooting 38.7% from three.

This is huge news for the Wolfpack, especially with a game against #10 Auburn on the road next Thursday.

Photo Credit

Andy Katz of NCAA.com updated his Power 36 rankings yesterday, ranking NC State Men’s Basketball team 32nd. Basically, these rankings represent the Top-36 teams that could be at-large selections in the 2020 NCAA Tournament.

32. NC State (NR): The Wolfpack destroyed Wisconsin by 15 before the Badgers pummeled Indiana, which had beaten Florida State. Got it. The Wolfpack are still worthy. (NCAA)

The Wolfpack wasn’t ranked in the previous rankings.

ACC Teams in Katz’s Power 36
1) Louisville
8) Duke
16) Virginia
27) Florida State
32) NC State
34) UNC