If you missed Part 1 of the press conference, make you check that out right here.

(Above if the full video and below are the bulleted highlights)

On how coaching at Hargrave helped him with handling teams with a lot of new faces…

• Great softball question. If anyone is used to having a new roster it’s Kevin Keatts.
• Spend 12 years at Hargrave, 10 as a head coach, had a new roster every year.
• Need to use time wisely. It’s about teaching. Putting in a new system. Explaining to guys how hard they have to play. Putting in new plays.
• Has guys on staff that spent time at Hargrave so they too are used to that.

On how much does the year sitting and watching help guys like Daniels, Bryce, and Harris…

• It’s valuable, but the tough part is when you sit out, you are on the scout team and are usually playing as the best guy on the other team. Not a lot of chance to coach you. Taking a lot of bad shots and don’t get to know the system as well as they should. That’s the adjustment.

On how much of Keatts system they got to run last year…

• Probably ran about 75% of the system last year. Mostly because of depth problems.
• This team, out of the 11 guys, 7 can play as guards.
• Didn’t get to run all the presses last year. Wants to press more this season.
• Played fast last year, but wants to play faster this year.

On how they’ll offset the loss of Yurtseven…

• Anytime you lose a guy that went 14 and 7, it will hurt.
• Will miss his size and his ability to make shots.
• Has 3 good bigs this year and while none will average 14 ppg, them as a 3-headed monster have a chance to replace him.

On if there is a model for this type of versatile team with opportunities for unconventional lineups…

• During time at Hargrave, 103 guys got D-1 scholarships. Knew that college coaches were coming to watch these kids, so he couldn’t play just 7 guys. Wanted to play as many as possible.
• Same thing here, and did it at UNCW. Wants 5 guys on the floor to play as hard as they can for as long as they can. Then wants them to put up their hand and ask for a break. To reward them, if you play so hard you have to ask to come out, when you are ready to go back in, you go back in.
• The game of basketball has gone to these unconventional lineups. Look at Golden State or San Antonio. No one plays with a back to the basket center. Centers want to be 3-men. Small forwards want to be PGs. So you’re going to see unconventional, no-position basketball.

On how important it is to have Torin Dorn back…

• Great. Never thought there was a time when Dorn wasn’t coming back.
• Glad he had a chance to go through the NBA draft process to get evaluated but excited to have him back.
• This program helped him a ton. He had a great non-conference at NC State in his first year, but last year he played a complete season.

On the importance of grad transfers…

• Whenever you have so many new guys it’s important to have some older guys.
• Best formula in college basketball is to ‘stay old’
• Lockett and Walker, playing at different schools under different coaches can help them. They know what help-side is. They know how to talk. They are great in the locker room and they are great students.

On what transfers have to do during their season of sitting out…

• Tries to send message that every practice is their game. They came out and treated it like that.
• They were a big part of last season’s success. That team doesn’t win 21 games without them.
• All 3 are anxious to play and exited for their oppotunity.

On getting such a big group of new players to come together as a team…

• Last year had an advantage that the team got to go to Italy on the foreign trip and get 1o practices and 3 games in early on.
• Wasn’t about the games, it was about the opportunity to come together as a team
• This year, trying to get the guys to hang out and mingle as much as possible.
• Biggest challange as a coach is finding chemistry with this team.

On CJ Bryce (transfer from UNCW) and his role at NC State…

• Has become a better 3 points shooter since he got here.
• He’s changed his body and he’s taken on the challenge to improve defensively.
• He knows the system and is the only guy on the roster that has played for Keatts for a couple of years.
• CJ’s biggest asset to the team is teaching young guys what is expected of them every day from the coaching staff.

On Markell Johnson’s return at PG…

• What a tremendous impact he had on the team last year. Led the ACC in assists.
• He’s grown up a lot. At the beginning of last season, there was a lot he needed to work on. He’s become a better student, he’s popular around campus now and he’s done a great job of talking more with his teammates on the court.
• That communication is big. The PG is like your quarterback. When you have a PG that understands what the coach is looking for then that is going to bode well for the team.

On losing a pure scorer like Al Freeman and what this team’s strengths will be…

• This team can score from multiple positions and has a lot of proven scorers.
• Braxton and Markell started pretty much and both averaged about 10 ppg. Dorn averaged 13-14 ppg.
• Now adding Devon Daniels who averaged 10 ppg at Utah as a freshman and CJ Bryce who averaged 17 at UNCW.
• Last year Markell wasn’t a scorer, he was a passer. Braxton found his way and made a few shots, but you knew Al Freeman was the go to guy to take and make shots. With this team, you can’t focus on one guy.