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Keatts Presser After Win Over Jacksonville :: Bulleted

Published

6 years ago

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Kevin Keatts talks to the media after his Wolfpack beat Jacksonville 116-64. If you want to hear the full version, the video is above. Below are the cliff notes.

  • Very proud of the effort. Best game team has played this season. Pleased with the 28 assists on 42 FGs. It shows they really shared the ball.
  • Team made 19 3s. Been saying that this team fills it up in practice. Only a matter of time before it falls in the game.
  • Tremendous job from all 9 guys that played. Had great passion and energy.
  • Excited to have this type of game going into Christmas break. Giving guys a couple days off to clear their mind and come back ready for ACC play.
  • Talked last couple days how important it was to win this one going into the break. Thought team was very focused and locked in.
  • Didn’t talk to Al Freeman much about his shot or his offense. Said he was going to after Robert Morris but thought it best to just leave him alone. He was locked in, mad some shots. Real excited about this kid. Needed to see the basketball go in the hoop.
  • Al Freeman took a nasty fall in practice. Didn’t know if he’d suit up. Give him credit. He did and he was great.
  • 3pt shooting was great. One difference may have been that the team practiced in the PNC the day before the game. Going to try to do that as much as possible. Once first few went in, it seemed contagious.
  • Happy to go into break 10-3. Would love to be 13-0, but with a new coaching staff, new players and a new system, very happy about where they are.
  • Took day off after Robert Morris. Wasn’t planning on it, but thought they needed it. Then had one day prep for this one. Could tell who was going to play well by the practice.
  • Batts is coming along. Starting to understand what Keatts wants as a coach. Playing hard on the defensive end, which is why minutes have increased.
  • Good half-court defense. Showed team stats of where they are. Top 50 in the nation at stopping the 3. Teams shooting only 31% from beyond the arc. Last two games gave up 20 3s, which was bad. If we hadn’t done that we could be #1 there. Team took that to heart. Talked about it all game. Was not happy early when they hit a few but guys locked in a did their job. Excited about it now.

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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

2 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

3 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

on

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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