It’s been almost 10 months since head coach Kevin Keatts was hired as the 20th coach in NC State men’s basketball history; therefore, by now Wolfpack fans have gotten a sample size of what to expect.
The 2017-18 season should be considered a rebuilding year, but in his first 16 games, Keatts has experienced some incredible highs. The Pack impressed in wins over No. 2s Arizona and Duke, but was brought down to earth in a home loss to UNC-Greensboro and two lopsided embarrassments to Clemson and Notre Dame.
Though it’s too early to make a proper estimation of what Keatts will be, let’s analyze what to make of the halfway mark of his first season at NC State:
Play style: In Keatts’ introductory press conference he vowed to bring a fast-paced, up-tempo style offense paired with a full-court press, and there is definitely a difference from last year’s squad.
In the patented four-guard scheme, NC State pushes the pace on the offensive end. Although this forces small ball, the Pack hasn’t given up much dominance off the glass thanks to redshirt senior forward Lennard Freeman, senior forward Abdul-Malik Abu, sophomore center Omer Yurtseven and the man usually serving as the cleanup crew, redshirt junior guard Torin Dorn.
But the most noticeable and improved aspect of this Wolfpack team is its effort. In the Mark Gottfried era, uncontested shots and a lackadaisical outlook on defense absolutely maddened NC State fans. This year, an energized attitude on defense has translated into the Pack forcing 16 turnovers per game, good for second in the ACC.
Though State will not win every game, this team will put up a fight in nearly every contest.
Coaching: Due to Keatts’ scheme, the Wolfpack endured rigorous offseason conditioning; in fact, after the first exhibition game Dorn said he believes that NC State is one of the best conditioned teams in the country.
As for in-game adjustments, Keatts and his team have showed poise in big moments. On Nov. 22, the Pack was tied 40-40 at the half with No. 2 Arizona in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. Every time the Wildcats made a run, the Wolfpack answered.
Another huge upset happened on Saturday against the No. 2 Blue Devils. Down 27-16, Keatts rallied his crew and the Pack climbed back on a 15-0 run, to fuel its 43-41 halftime lead. Though NC State was up, freshman sensation Marvin Bagley III was having a field day, and with legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski at the helm everyone expected Duke to make the correct adjustments to formulate a comeback.
However, NC State never trailed in the second half and answered every Blue Devil run. But another notable coaching adjustment came against not a ranked opponent or power-five team, but against Presbyterian on Nov. 16.
In the fourth game of the season, the Wolfpack finally faced adversity as it found itself down by eight at the half to the Blue Hose. The Pack allowed Presbyterian to shoot 60 percent from the floor and 50 percent from long range in the first frame, and it tightened up on the defensive end in the second to force 22 total Blue Hose turnovers. NC State came away with an 86-68 win and limited Presbyterian to just 24 second half points.
Personality: Keatts has already dealt with the curious cases of the NCAA, specifically with its handling of the eligibility of freshman guard Braxton Beverly. He has also suspended sophomore guard Markell Johnson due to his felonious assault charge in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.
Taking into account the troubles Keatts has faced in his short time in Raleigh, he has taken everything in stride, and with a charming persona.
Over the summer in his first media availability at Dail Basketball Center, Keatts ended the presser by shaking the hand of every media member, thanking them for coming and for welcoming him to NC State.
He has also dished out a couple of funny one-liners as well, especially after beating Duke on Saturday.
“Well since it’s my first ACC win, I think it’s the best one I’ve got so far,” Keatts said. “I don’t know what my team learned, but I know what I learned. Every team that we play I’m going to tell them they are the No. 2 team in the country.”
