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NC State Basketball

Kevin Keatts Presser After Win Over #2 Duke :: Bulleted

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6 years ago

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Kevin Keatts met with the media after NC State’s huge upset win over #2 Duke. Above is the full press conference video (Via NC State athletics) and below is the summary.

 

  • When PNC is packed, could be the toughest place to play in America. The fans were great and got them through spurts when Duke was on a run.
  • Talked all week about playing together and how that is the only way for this team to be successful. Team had 17 assists and only 10 turnovers.
  • Told team if they win they’ll have to win on the boards. They did, getting 14 offensive rebounds to their 12 and beating them overall in rebounding.
  • Credit to Duke. They are a good team, but credit these guys for bouncing back after two tough road losses to open ACC play and getting this huge win.
  • Batts grew up tonight. He came in at a time when NC State needed energy and he provided it. He and Braxton are babies being asked to grow up quick and they’re doing a great job with it.
  • Duke was ACC’s best offensive rebounding team, NC State is ACC’s 11th best defensive rebounding team, but team talked about having to beat Duke there and talked about not just the bigs, but the whole team had to fight for rebounds and block out. Outrebounding them says a lot about the team.
  • Team never lost confidence during first 2 ACC losses. State was one of two teams that started ACC play on the road. Needed to get home, sleep in own beds and get home cooking.
  • Sharing the ball better in this one started with Al Freeman. Sat down with Freeman and told him that if we’re is going to be successful we’re going to have to play off of each other. Best games all season are when everyone has shared the ball.
  • Told team at end of first half to stay the course and not allow a Duke run. Made sure Duke didn’t get out and get points in transition. Made them play against a half-court defense.
  • Told team that they were about to play against Grayson Allen and 4 freshmen who were in high school last year. Asked them to use their experience and play like veterans and they all did.
  • Omer did a really good job tonight. Scored around the basket and actually played good defense, even though when you look at it, you’ll see Bagley had 31 points and 10 boards, but he’s just that good.
  • First ACC win. So best so far. But told team, don’t be satisfied. We aren’t just trying to beat the #2 team in the nation, we are building a program that wins consistently every night.
  • Been tough to see team not shoot it well in games, when they shoot it well in practice. Team practices really hard and it all translated to the game this time.
  • Need to tell team that everyone is ranked #2. Seems like they play best when they face #2 ranked teams. But it’s key to play at home, so far in ACC, 70-80% of the home teams have won, so it was important to come home. Team felt comfortable, fans were tremendous.
  • Lavar playing better has helped the team be able to give rests to Beverly and Al. Hunt playing better also, but Lavar is coming and it’s really helping the team.
  • Great to have 3 front court guys that are basically starters. Can rotate them in and out and you feel comfortable with them in there. Big bonus.

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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

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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

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4 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

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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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NC State Basketball

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

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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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