Connect with us

NC State Basketball

VIDEO: Kevin Keatts’ Press Conference After NC State’s 100-49 Rout of UNCA

Published

5 years ago

on

NC State head coach Kevin Keatts spoke with the media in his press conference after the Wolfpack’s 100-49 victory over UNC-Asheville tonight. The video is ABOVE, and a bulleted breakdown is BELOW.

  • Thought we played extremely hard. Did we do everything right? Absolutely not. The mistakes we made, were because we were playing hard. I can live with those.
  • I’m happy with where my team is right now. I think everyone that is in the game is giving me maximum effort.
  • Thought we did a tremendous job getting out in transition.
  • We pressured. Thought we took them out of everything they did.
  • They are going to be a good team in their league. They have some really good young players.
  • Very disappointed DJ Funderburk finally missed a shot. I knew it was coming. I told him he let me down, because I told everyone that he was going to go the whole year without missing a shot, so I was a little disappointed when he took that baseline jumper.
  • Don’t have an update on Markell Johnson. He’ll be with the doctors tomorrow, and I’ll know more. I’ll tell you this…he was not diagnosed with a concussion. I don’t know what the end result will be.
  • Devon Daniels settled in. Anytime you have a guy that’s a transfer, they want to play so well, because they sat out a year. In the first couple of games he forced a lot of things. I thought he relaxed. He was more comfortable. Thought he played off of his teammates, and I’m happy for him.
  • Versatility. At times we had CJ Bryce playing the point guard position. Going to see all kinds of guys playing different positions.
  • Last game I liked our amount of deflections, but not the total amount of steals. Tonight we had 13.
  • Every time I looked down the bench, I saw players that were on the edge of their seat to get in the game. We’ve got plenty of guys that are eager to play. I don’t know that I’ve had a team where everyone is almost equal. I may not have a starting 5. It’s hard to not get Eric Lockett on the floor. DJ Funderburk on the floor. Jericole is playing really good basketball. Until we get Braxton settled in, he’s coming off the bench.
  • When you look around the country, players that start games play 30-35 minutes. When you look at us, I don’t know that we have anyone averaging over 26 minutes. That says a lot about our guys character. They are unselfish.
  • Thought our doctors and trainers did a great job getting Braxton Beverly back. I wasn’t surprised because CJ Bryce had a very similar surgery when we were at UNCW, and he was out for three weeks. Braxton gives us a different dimension. His ability to hit a three-point shot is just as effective as us getting out in transition and getting a dunk. He excites the crowd and gives energy to our team.
  • At halftime we had 36 deflections, and we try to get 40 in a game.
  • Ian Steere and I met on Monday. Had a great conversation. For me, it’s about what’s best for his future, and what he thinks is best. We talked about the pros and cons. Here’s the opportunity if you stay, because I think he would have been a good basketball player for us. Or if there’s another opportunity for you, I’ll be behind you and support you. We didn’t come to a decision at that time, or he didn’t. He told me he would call me later on that night. I was at my radio show, and he sent me a text and asked if we could talk, and I said absolutely. I called him on my break, and he told me he was going to look at another situation. I told him I appreciate you, and am thankful for everything you did, and thanks for even coming here for us. I wish him luck. At the end of the day, I think he was just looking for a fresh start.

Related Topics:

Matthew is Publisher and Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He is also the Lead Pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

Click to comment
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

NC State Basketball

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

Published

1 hour ago

on

May 2, 2024

By

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:

Continue Reading

NC State Basketball

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

Published

15 hours ago

on

May 1, 2024

By

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.

Continue Reading

NC State Basketball

ECU Transfer Forward Ezra Ausar to NC State is Trending Up

Published

1 day ago

on

May 1, 2024

By

ECU Transfer Power Forward Ezra Ausar (6’9″/240) was on an Official Visit to NC State yesterday, and according to analysts at ON3 and 247Sports, things are trending in the right direction for the Wolfpack.

Jamie Shaw of ON3 submitted a prediction for Ausar to eventually commit to NC State yesterday morning.

Cory Smith of 247Sports submitted a crystal ball projection for Ausar to run with the Wolfpack this morning.

Ausar just wrapped up his Sophomore season in Greenville, averaging 11.4 points and 4.7 rebounds, shooting 51.4% from the field. As a Freshman, he was named to the AAC All-Freshman Team, averaging 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Ausar is a consensus 4-Star prospect in the Transfer Portal, and ON3 ranks him as the #60 overall player in the Portal and the #10 Power Forward.

Originally from Atlanta, Ausar played his Senior Season of High School at Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. ON3 ranked Ausar as a 4-Star prospect coming out of high school, the #94 overall player nationally, and the #2 player in the state of North Carolina.

Ausar has visited Seton Hall, Georgia Tech, met over Zoom with Georgetown, and had an in-home visit with Utah. John Calipari and his staff at Arkansas have been in touch with Ausar, as well as Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, West Virginia, Iowa State and St. John’s. (Link)

At this point, it’s good news that Ausar has no visits scheduled after the visit to NC State.

Ausar has 2 years of eligibility remaining, and NC State currently has 1 scholarship remaining.

Continue Reading

NC State Basketball

NC State Signee Zamareya Jones Showed Out in the McDonald’s & Jordan All-American Games

Published

1 day ago

on

May 1, 2024

By

NC State 2024 signee Zamareya Jones has played in the McDonald’s All-American game and the Jordan Brand Classic over the past month.

In the McDonald’s game on April 2nd, Jones had 13 points, helping her East squad defeat the West.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by SportsCenter NEXT (@sportscenternext)

In the Jordan Brand Classic on April 21st, Jones had 15 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. She also hit the game winner for Team Flight.

Jones is a 5-star prospect in the Wolfpack’s 2024 recruiting class, ranked 21st overall nationally by ESPN.

Continue Reading