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VIDEO: Kevin Keatts Press Conference After NC State Lost at FSU 78-73

Published

5 years ago

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Wolfpack head coach Kevin Keatts spoke with the media in his postgame press conference after NC State lost to Florida State 78-73 down in Tallahassee yesterday. The video is ABOVE, and a bulleted breakdown is BELOW.

  • Have to give Florida State credit. They did a great job taking care of home court advantage.
  • We had our chances, especially late in the second half.
  • We cut the lead, and it seemed like every time we cut the lead they did a great job making a big play, whether it was an offensive rebound or getting a steal.
  • The second half was the big difference in the game.
    • They got to the free throw line a lot more than we did in the second half.
    • 50/50 plays.
  • It’s different for us (on dressing 9), not too much on the offensive end, but defensively because we like to rotate guys in.
    • Typically, we have the 5 guys that start the game. Like to have a backup in each position. One man short.
  • I thought they fouled and we didn’t know, and I had to go back and look at it (On expecting Florida State to foul on the last three-point lead (76-73))
    • We got a stop on DJ Funderburk’s 5th foul.
      • I don’t know what happened there.
      • On the late whistle I thought we were going to the other end, but he ran in and called a foul.
      • I haven’t watched the tape yet.
  • DJ Funderburk has gotten better.
    • Needed that for this team.
    • Can certainly score inside, but also outside.
    • Rebounding was great.
    • Giving us 18 points.
    • I think that will be big for us moving forward.
  • I thought Torin (Dorn), Markell (Johnson) and Braxton (Beverly) were very aggressive in the 2nd half.
    • At halftime all 3 of those guys had a combined 5 points, and I thought they played up.
  • He’s (Trent Forrest) tough because he gets in the paint.
    • Give Trent a lot of credit, he knows who he is.
    • He doesn’t try to do anything outside of his game.
    • When you have a point guard whose content with running the offense and then scoring when he has to, you have a good thing going.
  • I thought we drove because we were able to get paint touches.
    • They do a great job denying wings, and a lot of the time you have 1-on-1 drives.
    • I thought in the 1st half we didn’t do a great job of finishing.
    • We made certain shots, where we talked about guys going off two feet making strong moves.
  • I think the biggest challenge when preparing for Florida State is they play 11 guys. You have to concentrate on personnel opposed to a team.
  • Other than Kabengele, you don’t have a lot of guys scoring points.
    • So a team like this is tough.
    • On any given night, you don’t know who can lead in scoring.
  • I told my guards you have to adjust to the way they call it.
  • Sometimes it depends. Some games they allow you to play a little bit more.
  • I heard Florida State fans say, “let us play a little bit.” I was for that.

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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

Published

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

3 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

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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