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NC State Basketball

NC State Found a Unicorn in Kevin Keatts

Published

5 years ago

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Coaches like NC State’s Kevin Keatts are few and far between.

Some coaches are strictly disciplinarians. They are straight business. Often they don’t know how to smile. They don’t care if you like them. The media is nothing but a nuisance and a distraction from priorities. Being a ‘players coach’ isn’t a compliment to them. They think Twitter is a futile waste of time.

On the other side of the spectrum, some coaches live for the limelight. They are the players best friend and surrogate father. They treat press conferences like it’s a weekly show. They are their own brand. They are entertaining. Players are drawn to play for them because of their charisma.

Keatts is the best of both of these worlds.

He is a disciplinarian. He was the head coach at military academy for 10 years (and assistant for 2 more) at Hargrave.

Recent quotes from Keatts:

”I’ll tell y’all a secret. If a player has a breakdown on the defensive end, he’s probably coming out”

“If you don’t play hard, somebody else is going to get your minutes”

Markell Johnson didn’t start against Penn State because he was late for practice three days before the game.

Keatts has a no cell phone policy. No cell phones in team meetings or team dinners. Players aren’t allowed to talk on the phone on the team bus. He makes them stand up in group settings, and introduce one of their teammates, sharing something personal about them.

He runs these players fill there is no body fat left. It’s called ‘Keatts Shape.’

What makes Keatts unique, is that he is all of that, but he is also one of the most likable coaches I’ve ever seen. He doesn’t see the media as a nuisance. He knows them by name, and respects and answers their questions. Keatts smile and swagger is infectious. His style is second-to-none. No coach is going to compete with his suit-game, and he rocked wolf-head Gucci shoes on the sidelines the other night. Keatts takes his team out for ice cream anytime they win a road game. He dances in the locker room after every victory. It’s nearly impossible for anyone not to like him, or want to be around him.

It’s very hard to possess both of these coaching styles. There is a tension that typically pulls a coach to chose one side, and dismiss the other. The balancing act of the two is too daunting for most.

Finding someone who embraces the tension successfully, and seemingly naturally, is like finding a unicorn.

Kevin Keatts is a unicorn.

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

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wolfpackjay
wolfpackjay
5 years ago

So true, and also true is that everyone he has worked with loves him and roots for him

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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

4 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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5 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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5 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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5 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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