Where do We Go from Here? Vonwolf’s Thoughts on Keatts

What a wild ride this last 24-hours has been. Beating up on the number one team in the country, only to let the opportunity slip away. In many ways, it’s a microcosm of Keatts’ time at State, thus far.

And while I’m sure the ‘Fire Keatts’ crew is salivating after that last statement, you’re going to be disappointed by what follows; Keatts is the coach of State and will be for at least a couple more years.

Roster Building

What really dampens this situation, is the fact we have to speak at nauseam about Bates being done for the year. Everything connects to him, in one way or another. So please be understanding, when he’s name is brought up a million times.

I love this team’s build, except for the fact we are so lacking of bigs. With a healthy squad of Bates, Morsell, Hayes, Seabron and Hellems…with Smith, Dowouna, Pass, Gantt and others off the bench, it’s a really fun and exciting team. They’re athletic, can work inside and out, and has bench players that can take on minutes each and every game.

But the problem is, the house of cards was built around one and only one guy, Bates. I know Keatts has Shawn Phillips coming in (really, really love him) and was in the final two for Jayden Gardner (went to UVA, and we’ll get to that in a second). Yet through all that, we ended up with no big men. That’s directly Keatts and company’s fault.

Dowouna has shown that he is maturing rapidly into a Bates clone. Big time blocking ability, more aggressive on the boards, a work-in-progress on the offensive end. But that shouldn’t have been the case. There should have been additional added security. You’re saying there wasn’t a 7′ 4″ dude from Iowa we couldn’t have just picked up? I need a guy that literally takes up space, IN CASE Bates goes down.

You can only get so many top recruits that never show up. And we now see, you can over pick smaller guys. This team is fun and when healthy, could actually be pretty darn good. But we dropped the ball on the details of depth.

Keatts can recruit studs (even before the nation regards them as such), but he never thought worst case scenario. That said, the guy has taken this group and gotten them to 7-3, a record few would have seen.

Wins a Win, Until it Ain’t

We talked about it before on PI. Keatts actually has won more than some of the most historic names through his first handful of years.

You could also say, State LOST their three games this year by their own doing. Complete disappearance against a poor shooting OK State. In the most unbiased viewpoint ever, Louisville hitting two lucky, lucky shots. And then the game Sunday, State should have won. Even if they win two of the three? I think this conversation turns from “Keatts needs to go” to “Is Keatts going to get ACC COY?” It’s true haters..couple bounces and that’s exactly what the basketball world would be talking about.

But that’s sports to some extent. Look at UVA (yes, I understand they won it all recently), but they sit 6-4 with losses that include Navy and James Madison. Boeheim’s squad is 5-5 and losing to the same Colgate team that State beat.

We win maybe EVERY game this year, with a true inside-outside game plan. Instead we have to turn more one-on-one because the inside is still catching up to overall gameplay. It will get there folks, it will.

There were seasons that we never thought Doeren could win big games (for some that thought hasn’t changed), but we’re closing in on breaking through.

Development and Coaching

With all the above said, this is where the rubber meets the road, in my eyes. Talked to a former football coach a couple months back. He made this statement; “The thing about coaching, is the higher the level, the shitter a coach you become. You start in Pop Warner teaching every aspect of the game…then you get to the NFL and it’s all about taking talent and pointing it in a direction. They aren’t so much coaching, as they are just being guidance counselors.”

Damnit…

Because I really think Keatts is fair more a guidance counselor, than a coach. Whether you look at the failure rate of drawn up plays out of timeouts or the less than ideal longer leash he gives players. It’s not great.

Yet, I get excited about the growth of these players. Right now, Seabron is a 1st-team All-ACC, and with an outstanding conference run, could at least be in consideration for POTY. Duwouna has blown away expectations. Tell me you saw him breaking out at all? Smith and Morsell have shown moments that show they are absolutely in the right place.

The hardest aspect at college is getting guys that go all out and compete. There is no ego on this team, they are one. That’s crucial and impressive from Keatts.

Every coach watches and learns from other coaches. The score-first point guard craze. The free-wheelin’ high ball screen offenses. So why can’t Keatts start evolving his coaching? At some point, he will. His ragtag group almost beat the #1 team…

Coaching Cycle

Someone mentioned on Twitter;

Really? Look at Miami…two decades, five coaches, an average of four years per hiring and no big wins outside of single Richt year. Why would I want that? Why do you think that State would pay and GET a top guy that would be better? I don’t need the carousel, when bad luck keeps popping up.

That’s always the thought by some, “Just hire someone better.” The hell you talking about? Keatts is at least is weathering the storm and keeping the program competitive. He will right the ship.

In Vonclusion

Do I think Keatts is the guy? I honestly don’t know, but deep down I lean yes. He is the coach now and into the very near future. He’s getting recruits and his team is hungry to breakthrough. If the roster comes together next year, I really think State makes a run at things. But the injuries and weird timing/late game shit just is a tough pill to take.

Similar to many teams within the Wolfpack family, the culture is turning for the better. Players know what they are getting into when they come to State. These guys are 1000% State guys and that starts with the coach.

Keatts is our coach. Enjoy the good times and this team going all out. Some things do need to change, just not the coach.