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NC State Basketball

It’s time to take the reins off Manny Bates

Published

4 years ago

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It’s not clear whether Kevin Keatts has limited Manny Bates’ minutes because he’s a freshman, because of his injury history, because of fear of foul-outs, or because he simply doesn’t fully trust him yet. Maybe it’s a combination of them all, but Bates came into the game against Pitt averaging only 18.7 minutes per game.

Now, when you look at Bates’ stat line, 18.7 minutes per game seems like a lot. The freshman big man is averaging 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game, but if you’ve watched NC State recently you may have noticed that they are a much better team when he’s on the floor.

Keatts likes to press. He likes to apply pressure defense and he likes to switch every screen. While this is supposed to create havoc for opposing guards and result in turnovers, it hasn’t. NC State is ranked 78th nationally in steals. They aren’t creating turnovers and thus aren’t really getting ou in transition. So they don’t have much to show for the risks they are taking on defense. Meanwhile, opposing teams are getting a lot, and I mean a lot, of easy buckets as NC State is constantly in help and recover.

Enter Manny Bates.

The freshman big is leading the ACC, ranked in the top-10 nationally and has already set the Pack’s single-season rookie record for blocked shots.  When he’s in the game, he gives the Pack that last line of rim protection that they are lacking. Having him protect that back-line allows them to gamble defensively and still makes it tough for the opposition to score if they break the press.

And look at NC State this season. They aren’t struggling to score, they’re struggling to stop people. Which makes it even more perplexing why Bates finds himself on the bench for long stretches in a lot of games.

Take this past weekend’s UNC game. His stat line may look modest with 4 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks, but Bates only played 14 minutes. He only finished the game with 3 fouls.  Meanwhile when he was on the floor NC State outscored UNC 28-13. When Bates was on the bench, UNC out-scored the Pack 72-51.

So what gives? Maybe after 2 fouls in the first half, Keatts didn’t want him to pick up his third in the first half, but really what good does it do? Bates isn’t a guy that you need to rely on for offense. If you get down late, you don’t need him on the floor. So if you’re winning with him on the floor early, why not just keep him out there until he either can’t go any longer or he picks up his 5th?

You have to wonder if some of that was realized over the past few days as Bates saw 27 minutes of action (the most he’s seen in the past 6 games). Or maybe it wasn’t and you got to see that when Manny Bates gets his minutes, he produces.

Bates set a career-high with 13 points and notched his first double-double with 10 rebounds. He also blocked a whopping 5 shots and altered who knows how many. He was the difference-maker in State’s 77-73 win over Pitt and helped keep the Pack’s NCAA hopes alive.

Now, there will be some games where Bates just isn’t going to be a great matchup due to his inability to step out on quicker bigs, but those times are going to be few and far between.

Although Keatts wants to be a fast-paced, run and gun type of team, it may be time to admit that the Pack’s best chances of winning may be rolling out the twin towers (Bates and Funderburk) in the middle for 25+ minutes per night and taking the reins off of Manny Bates.

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ppack3
ppack3
4 years ago

I very much agree that Bates is a difference-maker on the defensive end. But since ACC play started he usually picks up a couple of fouls very quickly. Once this happens, I think the focus of any team is to go right at him to get him out of the game. Taking him out after foul two is an attempt to counter the opposition and to preserve him for times in the game when he can come in and play somewhat freely. I think it is fair to say that Manny has struggled offensively and struggled with rebounding during this… Read more »

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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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3 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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4 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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4 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.

 

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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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