- I think one thing we’ve proven is that we can score the ball.
- I think we are leading the ACC in scoring.
- So that’s never really been a problem with this team, but just getting better in all the areas.
NC State Basketball
Kevin Keatts’ Press Conference After NC State’s Victory Over Furman: BULLETED
Wolfpack head coach Kevin Keatts met with the media after NC State beat Furman 92-73 last night in PNC Arena. You can watch it here, or check out a BULLETED breakdown below.
- Good basketball team that we beat tonight.
- It is one of those teams when we schedule the game, it’s nerve-racking to schedule a team like Furman, because they are picked to win in the league.
- From the outside, fans are not familiar with Furman, so they all of a sudden think that you are supposed to beat them, and this is a team that on any given night can beat any team in the country.
- They have a lot of returners.
- We did a great job in getting back and transitioning the last couple of days.
- We really honed in defensively, but I didn’t like the fact that we gave up 21 points against Miami in transition.
- I don’t think down the stretch we played great defense.
- We talked about taking away their team’s leading and second-leading scorer.
- I am proud of our guys because they bounced back and it was a really good win.
- It is one of those wins that you will look back at in March when we talk about quads and you will be proud of quad 2, and maybe quad 3, but won’t be of quad 4.
- I thought LJ Thomas came off the bench and did a great job.
- He came in with a career-high.
- Terquavion Smith has been fantastic, he has played some inspiring basketball so far.
- It was good to see the ball go in for Jack Clark.
- The game plan was to go in, and drive, and get paint touches.
- Through those drives and paint touches, we were able to get some easy shoots outside.
- I thought of all games, we really shared the ball.
- You saw a lot of plays where the ball would go from one side to the other.
- I have been searching to develop our bench.
- I don’t want to be in a situation where I play Terquavion Smith and Jarkel Joiner 38-40 minutes a game.
- I want to give them some breaks and I think that it will be better for them down the stretch.
- I want LJ Thomas and Breon Pass to take a big step forward, and both of them are getting better.
- We are doing it through the games and practice, but I thought LJ Thomas was really good.
- He played with poise, made some good shots, drove the basket, and I thought he did a really good job.
- I didn’t splash him [LJ Thomas] and I got out of the way.
- This team is coming together, and it’s hard when you bring in so many people from different areas, places, and schools.
- They are happy for each other’s success and I think that is really good.
- He did get drenched.
- When I look at it, I am so old school in this area because I give the guys so much freedom offensively that you can’t be a liability on the defensive end.
- If you are going to sit down and guard and come in and play solid, your opportunity to play is more.
- What I was bothered by at the Miami game was the lack of toughness, both physically and mentally.
- Not so much physically, I just thought some uncharacteristic things, like we didn’t guard the basketball, we had blow-bys, and our ball screen coverage wasn’t good.
- We looked each other in the eye and said we need to get better.
- Typically, I would have just watched film for 2 days to prep after taking a long trip.
- We actually watched film the next day and we got on the floor for the next hour and had a complete one hour of defensive practice and prepare for Furman.
- The guys were locked in. I thought we gave a couple of back doors but if you only give Furman two back doors, then you’re winning the game, so I thought it was good.
- We always talk about good to great.
- If you got a good shot, but somebody’s got a great shot, make sure that you pass the ball to those guys and it’s hard because everybody, obviously the kids today, they want to score.
- Social media’s about scoring.
- But to get that and these guys coming together and understanding their role and playing a role and sharing the basketball that’s a policy thing.
- If you got a good shot, but somebody’s got a great shot, make sure that you pass the ball to those guys and it’s hard because everybody, obviously the kids today, they want to score.
- Listen, I am so excited to have him [Isaiah Miranda] first of all, and he’s a talented young man coming in.
- I want everybody to remember he’s a high school kid who’s coming into a program that’s already been going for a while, we’ve taken a foreign trip, and we’ve played twelve games, but he’s talented.
- He can run the floor, he can block shots, and he’s got a skill level that’s really good.
- He’s a legitimate, in my opinion, Top 30 player in the country.
- I do not know when he’s going to play. Hopefully by the end of the week.
- He’s cleared from everything and he can get some practice time.
- I wouldn’t say be prepared for him to play against Vanderbilt. I wouldn’t say be prepared for him to play the next game after that.
- I just don’t know, but we’re going to try and ease him in.
- I think DJ’s [Burns] coming along.
- He can pass the basketball.
- The one thing that hurt us when we lost Dusan [Mahorcic] is playing DJ Burns 30 minutes a game.
- I don’t think he’s ever played 30 minutes a game.
- And so I’m trying to figure out a rotation where he doesn’t have to play as many minutes.
- He’s probably realistically right now tops should be 25 to 27, but not 30 to 31.
- But when he’s in there, he’s so effective.
- Where he’s gotta grow is we need him to get better defensively especially in ball screens, because that’s what Dusan was really special at.
- I think we’ve had a very competitive non-conference when you talk about going to Atlantis and playing three really good teams.
- At home, you’ve got Furman who’s really good.
- You’ve got another neutral core game against Vandy in Chicago.
- We’ve been so focused on finishing the non conference.
- I know it seems a little weird, but we’ve got two ACC games right in the mix of the non conference, but I think all of these will help prepare us for the stretch part of the ACC.
Subscribe
Login
Please login to comment
0 Comments