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VIDEO: Kevin Keatts Talks to Media Before #23 NC State vs. #3 Virginia

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5 years ago

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#23 NC State head coach Kevin Keatts met with the media yesterday before the Wolfpack’s matchup with #3 Virginia. The video is ABOVE (via TheWolfpacker), and a bulleted breakdown is BELOW.

  • Tough game (Clemson) for us. Found a way to win when things weren’t going our way.
    • I think I’ve looked at that (Braxton Beverly’s Buzzer Beater) about 20 times. We had fun with it. We looked at some of the reactions from the rest of the players.
    • CJ Bryce could’ve forced a shot up (no timeouts)…He could have turned the ball over…But he made an unselfish play and gave the ball to Braxton.
    • Give Braxton (Beverly) a lot of credit for stepping up and making the shot, especially after he was 0-4 in the game. After the last couple of games, I don’t think he’s shot it as well as he can.
  • Now we’ll turn our attention to Virginia, who I think is maybe even a little better than the team last year that was No. 1.
    • Tough to score against as you know…always have been.
    • Offensively, they’re moving the ball.
    • Scoring more points
    • Playing a little faster.
    • One of the most talented teams I’ve seen on tape all year long.
  • I’ve played them 2x here and at UNCW, and we were able to space them out and make them make some shots.
    • When you stand around and you’re not able to make shots, it can be a long night for you.
    • I’ve watched 7-8 games on them and every game is similar.
    • The last game I watched vs. Clemson and all I keep thinking about is that Clemson had 2 points with 9-10 left in the half.
  • They defend you.
    • What makes them so special is that they’re a very good defensive team as a team, but they’ve got a lot of really good individual guys that can defend you.
    • Got to do a great job of moving the ball. We’ve got to penetrate and pitch and then those shots that are open…I’d love for us to knock them down.
  • They do a great job of defending the paint.
    • They show close out on you.
    • Make you take jump shots.
    • Limit you to one shot.
    • Very big.
    • Do a great job of blitzing you, where you’re never in a scoring area where you want to be.
    • Great job communicating.
    • Very seldom do you see a Virginia team beat theirselves on defense.
    • Don’t have a lot of breakdowns.
  • I felt like we (UNCW vs. UVA in NCAA Tournament) really did get them out of their element.
    • 1st time I’ve ever seen Tony Bennett make an adjustment in that area.
    • At 1 point they went with Shayok and put him at the 5, and they went 5 guards.
    • We (UNCW) moved the ball well, but were much smaller.
    • They were quicker and probably shot the ball a little bit better than the team I have right now.
    • So it’s a different team and a different strategy.
  • De’Andre Hunter’s playing the 3…could play 4 or 5…so talented.
  • Their front line is as big as any NBA front line.
    • They’re skilled…athletic…very physical.

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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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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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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

2 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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NC State Basketball

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

Published

3 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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