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Keatts Presser after Bryant :: Bulleted

Published

6 years ago

on

Keatts met with the media following NC State’s 95-72 win over Bryant. Here is a snapshot of what he had to say:

Opening statement…

  • It was a good night. Learned a lot.
  • Faced adversity early with Bryant coming out hot and got us behind.
  • Been telling the guys if you want to be a good pressing team you need some ‘come from behind wins’
  • Press was really good.
  • Forced them into 27 turnovers. Got 14 steals. 15 assists on 36 made FGs. Only turned it over 7 times.
  • Bryant took 52 shots. We took 79 because of steals and deflections off the press.
  • Glad to have Braxton out there, but put him in a bad spot.
  • Got a call from compliance saying he can play. Called Braxton at about 5pm, told him he could play.
  • Braxton thought it was a joke.
  • Equiptment manager has had Beverly’s jersey on hand every game.
  • Could have waited until Thursday to play him but was too excited.
  • Thought he did a good job and excited about him going forward.

 

On message after rough start..

  • Stick together. In basketball, you never lead games from beginning to end.
  • Told them that Bryant made their run, now we make ours.
  • Alot of times when teams get a lead, you start taking bad shots and the lead increases.
  • Guys stayed focus and we got into the press and it made the difference.

 

On Lennard Freeman..

  • Big strong and physical around the basket
  • From day one, focus was on him scoring with his back to the basket
  • Not a lot of guys have the size he has
  • Becoming a good post player and will be important all year long
  • Had a career night with 20 points and guys are comfortable throwing the ball to him

 

On Torin Dorn…

  • From the start, knew he was someone who could be really special in the system
  • Has the ability to score inside and out
  • Did a good job of mixing his game up, being aggressive getting in paint and finishing at the rim
  • Really good game. Effective in every way, even on defense.

 

On Beverly’s role in the rotation…

  • Got two guys that are going to be very good in NC State uniform…Braxton and Lavar.
  • Don’t have to play Markell, Al and Sam so many minutes anymore
  • Depth allows ability to bring young guys along slowly
  • Will see a different Braxton Beverly after he gets a few games under his belt
  • He is a shotmaker who can run the team

 

On busy schedule to start season…

  • Weird, but likes it. Walked into the gym and was like “I was just here yesterday”
  • Playing this much helps the team in the future. Mimics tournament schedule

 

On Abu’s progress…

  • Coming along. Still running. Taking shots. Starting to move more effectively.
  • No time frame for return but he is getting better

 

 
Video via NC State Athletics
 

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NC State Basketball

The Roster for the NC State Men’s Basketball Team is all but Set Heading into 2024-25

Published

3 days ago

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May 3, 2024

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NC State does have 1 scholarship available, and could still add a player out of the Transfer Portal. With that being said, the roster for the Men’s Basketball team is pretty much set for the 2024-25 season.

Non-graduates had to enter the Transfer Portal by April 30th, and Graduates had to enter by May 1st. Jayden Taylor and Michael O’Connell both made public announcements that they were returning, but the closure of entrance to the Portal means that Breon Pass, Ben Middlebrooks, Dennis Parker Jr. and MJ Rice are all set to return next season.

In a world where the Transfer Portal has all but become free agency in College Basketball, with some players switching schools on an annual basis, it’s encouraging that Kevin Keatts not only recruited a Top-10 Transfer Class, but also recruited a majority of the eligible players to stay. Three players that could transfer entered the Portal (I’m not counting Mohamed Diarra in these numbers, who opted to go pro), while 6 opted to continue running with the Wolfpack.

As a result, below is a breakdown of the roster for the NC State Men’s Basketball team heading into 2024-25, realizing the Wolfpack could still add one player (this team is deep).

1 year of Eligibility 

Guard Michael O’Connell
Guard Marcus Hill
Guard Breon Pass
Guard/Forward Jayden Taylor
Forward/Guard Dontrez Styles
Forward Ben Middlebrooks
Center Brandon Huntley-Hatfield

2 Years of Eligibility

Guard/Forward MJ Rice
Guard Mike James
Guard Jordan Snell (Walk-On)
Guard KJ Keatts (Walk-On)

3 Years of Eligibility 

Guard/Forward Dennis Parker Jr.

4 Years of Eligibility 

Guard Paul McNeil
Guard Trey Parker

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NC State Basketball

NC State’s Men’s Basketball 2024 Transfer Class Ranks in the Top-10 Nationally

Published

3 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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NC State’s Men’s Basketball team has picked up 4 players from the Transfer Portal this offseason, and the class ranks 10th nationally according to ON3, and 15th nationally according to 247Sports.

ON3

247Sports

NC State’s 2024 4-Man Transfer Class

Center Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (Louisville)

Guard/Forward Dontez Styles (Georgetown)

Guard Mike James (Louisville)

Guard Marcus Hill (Bowling Green)

NC State still has a chance to move up in the rankings. East Carolina Power Forward Ezra Ausar just wrapped up an Official Visit to NC State, and things are looking good for the Wolfpack. ON3 ranks Ausar as the #67 overall player in the Portal, and the #15 Power Forward.

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NC State Basketball

WATCH: Andy Katz’s Offseason Convo with NC State’s Kevin Keatts

Published

4 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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Andy Katz is beginning to make his rounds for his Offseason Convo series, and he took the time to meet with NC State Head Coach Kevin Keatts.

In their conversation, Keatts talked about what this run has meant to Raleigh and the Wolfpack fans, how it has helped sell the program the way it deserves to be in recruiting, and even how it helped and hurt in the world of the Transfer Portal.

Check out the conversation below:

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Guard Mike O’Connell Announces He Will Play His Final Year of Eligibility at NC State

Published

4 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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Guard Michael O’Connell announced today that he will be playing his final year of eligibility at NC State next season.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Michael O’Connell (@michaeloc_12)

Today was the final day graduate players could enter the Portal.

This past season, O’Connell averaged 5.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Wolfpack, starting 22 of the 41 games he played in.

O’Connell took over as NC State’s starting Point Guard on January 30th in a win against Miami.

He only scored in double figures in 9 of his 41 games this season, but 6 of those came in postseason play (5 in the ACC Tournament). O’Connell took things to another level in the ACC Tournament, playing aggressive on the offensive end, looking for his shot, and attacking the rim.

NC State played it’s best basketball of the season when O’Connell was running the show. He ranked 3rd in the ACC in Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.5).

Heading into next season, with a lineup filled with new faces, having the calming presence of a veteran leader like O’Connell is reassuring.

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