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RECAP: Kevin Keatts talks about the upcoming season in presser

Published

3 years ago

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Kevin Keatts held a virtual presser today to answer questions and talk about his roster and their upcoming season. Here are some of the highlights.

  • Team has plenty of veterans but is going to have to rely on newcomers who will be “thrown right into the fire.”
  • Says COVID-19 could cause schedules to be adjusted but says everyone is planning on the season-ending when it should and the tournament taking place.
  • Cam Hayes and Shakeel Moore are two freshmen that have to be ready to play PG, which he says is the hardest position to adjust to in college. Going to be ups and downs and mistakes made, but they have to be ready.
  • Hayes and Moore are not the only PG options. Beverly and Thomas Allen will both also fill the slot if needed. Not worried though as he says all of them bring different talents to the table.
  • Going to rely on Devon Daniels and DJ Funderburk as veteran leaders. Says Daniels was playing his best basketball down the stretch last year and that DJ will play both the 4 and the 5.
  • DJ and Manny Bates have been practicing a lot to be able to play together in the frontcourt.
  • Beverly and Thomas Allen also are vets who have logged a lot of college minutes and will be asked to help lead.
  • Empty arenas will be different. No rush of 2ok fans, but at the same time, some teams that get big homecourt advantages won’t have them. Coaches will be a big source of motivation this year.
    OUR TAKE
    As usual, a pretty candid take by Keatts, but still worth reading into.

    I would say his biggest question mark right now is PG. That is a valid worry and while Beverly and Allen would be more seasoned, Hayes and Moore are definitely more built to play the position at the speed he wants to see it played.

    It’s exciting to see him committing to a lineup with Bates and Funderburk. While this doesn’t give you the high octane lineup Keatts has always wanted, this is a lineup that is going to play well in the ACC. There are a lot of times in this league when you just need to make sure you are rebounding and making it hard for the other team to score. We know Fundy can score it, but can Bates take the next step offensively? If so, you might end up using this lineup a lot,  especially when you get into conference play.

    Lastly, I think his point about the role coaches are going to play this year is very valid. With no fans, there will be a propensity to take plays off. Coaches are going to have their teams bought in and show the intensity they want to see from the sideline.

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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

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

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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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