BULLETED: Kevin Keatts talks about win over BC, Bates injury, Hellems value

Published

3 years ago

December 31, 2020

Kevin Keatts met digitally with the media after NC State’s 79-76 win over Boston Collge. Here is what he had to say in bulleted form…

Not often you start 2-0 in this league. NC State hasn’t started 2-0 in ACC since 2014
Knew this would be a hard-fought game. BC has played all of their opponents close except Syracuse. Knew guards would be good shot makers.
Told guys that to win championships you have to win all sorts of games. Games when you are up 20 and close ones like this.
Taking tomorrow off. Guys need to get guys back in shape. Cam Hayes needs to get back to the level he was playing before he had to sit out a few games.
Manny Bates will get MRI on his knee as a precaution. Keatts not overly concerned and it was coach’s decision to not play him in 2nd half.
Funderburk was the best Keatts has seen him. Hellems had a bounce-back game and Shakeel Moore and Seabron came in and provided a nice lift off of the bench.
Funderburk was out longer than most but worked himself back into shape q; quickly. He plays best when he plays inside-out and he was needed big time with Manny out.
Funderburk said “We’re right where we need to be.” Keatts says he’s probably saying that out of excitement and hasn’t told the team that. But says he likes where they are.
Keatts says he has multiple guys who can take over different roles when needed.
Devon Daniels didn’t play especially well, so it was a frontcourt game and they showed up. Says it was good to see Hellems get credit after he played so well defensively (but poorly. offensively) against UNC.
Shakeel Moore was great. Has put a lot of work into being a better offensive player. Doesn’t know another freshman that would take that shot with 20 seconds left, with all the upperclassmen on the floor. He’s put a lot of work in.
Hellems is a kid who they say isn’t quick enough or doesn’t jump high enough, but if you watch him, the value he brings is toughness.

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

Published

17 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Matthew Bradham

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

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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.

NC State Basketball

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

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2024

Matthew Bradham

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.

NC State Basketball

What did an ACC Title & Final Four Mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.?

Published

2 days ago

April 22, 2024

Matthew Bradham

What did an ACC Title & Final Four mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.? The man who won the ACC Rookie of the Year Award in 2017 gave me a statement.

It means a lot. It means a lot to the university, the state of North Carolina and a lot more to my dad, grandma, and myself. They have been NC State fans since forever, so their excitement level was though the roof when they saw BOTH of our basketball teams shining like that. It was a great feeling!

2017 was Smith Jr.’s only year of College ball, averaging 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He earned 2nd Team All-ACC honors, and obviously, he earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.

DSJ was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 9th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Smith Jr. just wrapped up his 7th season in the NBA. This was his 1st season with Brooklyn, playing in 56 games for the Nets. He averaged 6.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, averaging 18.9 minutes per contest.