Something’s Got to Give

Something’s got to give.

The 2024-25 NC State Men’s Basketball season has come to a close, with Head Coach Kevin Keatts leading the Pack to a 12-19 overall record and a 5-15 record in ACC play.

When was the last season an NC State team had a record that bad? That would be Keatts’ 2021-22 squad, which went 11-21 overall and 4-16 in conference play.

In two of the last four years, Keatts’ teams have recorded win totals of 12 and 11.

That’s historically bad.

How bad, you ask?

Prior to the 2024-25 and 2021-22 seasons, the last time NC State produced a 12-win season was in 1994-95, when Les Robinson led the Pack to a 12-15 overall record.

The last time the Wolfpack had two seasons with 12 and 11 wins within a four-year span?

1993-94 and 1994-95, when Les Robinson led NC State to 11 wins and 12 wins. Those days were much more troublesome, don’t get me wrong.

Check out this 4-year span: 1991-92: 12-18 1992-93: 8-19 1993-94: 11-19 1994-95: 12-15

Am I saying the NC State Men’s Basketball program under Kevin Keatts is in the same state as it was under Les Robinson?

By no means.

Keatts did lead the Wolfpack to an ACC Tournament Championship (first since 1987) and a Final Four appearance (first since 1983), and as a result, Wolfpack fans will forever be indebted to him.

He has also led NC State to five 20-win seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances. Robinson had one 20-win season and one NCAA Tournament appearance.

Is it fair to say that Keatts has produced the two worst seasons in Raleigh since Robinson over the past four years?

Absolutely.

I haven’t even brought up the 2020-21, when Keatts led NC State to a 14-11 record.

The truth is Kevin Keatts has led the Wolfpack to three NCAA Tournament appearances in eight seasons. Sure, you could make the argument they should have made it in 2018-19 when they finished the season ranked 33rd in the NET, but I’m not a fan of excuses. If we want to play the coulda-shoulda game, I can argue that last year’s team wouldn’t have made the NCAA Tournament without winning the ACC Tournament, finishing the regular season with a 17-14 record.

To throw a cherry on top, NC State didn’t win a single game away from home, going 0-11 in away games, and 0-2 in games played at a neutral site.

That’s despicable.

When was the last time that NC State lost all of their away games?

1978-79, when the Wolfpack went 0-6 in away games.

And when was the last time NC State lost every game away from home?

It was in 1959-60 when the Wolfpack went 0-7 in away games and 0-3 on neutral courts.

Do I think it would be shocking to see NC State fire Kevin Keatts after the dismal results this year?

I’d be shocked, a year removed after winning the ACC Tournament.

With that said, should the university let sentimentality prevent them from making a move based on an underperforming body of work over eight seasons?