Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results each time. I define it as the result of watching NC State men’s basketball.
Let’s face it, this iteration of the men’s basketball team is a disappointment in every sense of the word. From the immediate injury to redshirt junior forward Manny Bates to the multiple losses in a row, it’s hard to be optimistic with a schedule that still features Duke and North Carolina.
And yet, after all these losses and unsafe leads, I’m here to set the record straight: there is no need to panic. Some fans have called for the firing of head coach Kevin Keatts and while his resume isn’t anything to write home about, it’s a severe overreaction. Let’s take a look at all the reasons why.
First, it’s important to note that this is a young, inexperienced and raw team. The Pack is 19th in the nation in free-throws attempted and 17th in offensive boards per game. It does a great job of creating opportunities for itself. But that’s also part of what’s so frustrating: The team isn’t capitalizing on these opportunities. The Pack’s 71.6% free-throw percentage ranks smack in the middle of the nation and though the Pack’s 76.1 points per game is fairly high, it’s giving those points right back on the defensive end.
That trend doesn’t stop there. The Wolfpack ranks 30th in field goals attempted but 303rd in field goal percentage, 114th in 3-pointers attempted but 265th in 3-point percentage. It’s the kind of basketball that makes you want to rip your hair out; the setup is there for this team to be great, but the execution is not.
But where it really stings is when you consider what this team could be if Bates was healthy. Of the Pack’s eight losses, the opposing team’s leading scorer has been a big sans the Miami game. Oklahoma State’s Kalib Boone had 20 points and five blocks against the Pack, Louisville’s Malik Williams had 14 points and 11 boards, Richmond’s Grant Golden had 19 points, and Purdue Trevion Williams had a hilariously good stat line of 22 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and six stocks.
And it’s not like the Pack is allowing this to happen against players that do this every night. All the bigs the Wolfpack matched up against set season highs or came pretty close to it. Further, NC State got outscored in the paint 338-242 in those losses. Yikes.
Heck, even the teams the Pack is beating handily are killing it inside. Look no further than Louisiana Tech’s Kenneth Lofton Jr., who posted 36 points, 18 boards and four assists. The dude shot 14 of 19 inside.
This, of course, can be attributed to the Wolfpack’s youth in the middle. Redshirt sophomore Ebenezer Dowuona and sophomore Jaylon Gibson weren’t expected to be a significant part of the rotation this season, if at all, before the year. The expectation was that Bates and junior forward Greg Gantt Jr. would be able to fill in the middle, with Dowuona likely seeing spot minutes akin to the kind of minutes Bates saw in his first year.
Bates had everything going for him this season; he added a 3-point shot to his arsenal, he had much more control and experience, and was primed to be a leader of this team for the first time in his career. His injury moments into the first game of the season is heartbreaking for fans because, with him, the team would have had a real shot at a much better record right now, way ahead of the development curve, with a potential win over a No. 1 team and a likely top-25 standing in the AP Poll. Instead, this team will almost certainly miss the NCAA Tournament once more.
And if the injury is depressing for fans, I can’t even begin to imagine what Bates is going through.
As for Gantt, nobody seems to be talking about the former four-star recruit, but he would undoubtedly be helping this team shore up its issues inside. He’s a lanky dude that can guard multiple positions and once he returns, I can guarantee the Pack’s issues inside will be alleviated, even if it’s only a slight improvement.
Despite all of this gloom and doom, there is so much reason for optimism surrounding this team. Wolfpack nation, if you’re reading this, know that there are better days ahead for this team. Sure, criticize Keatts if you want, but don’t do so without contextualizing his situation.
Keatts has been dealt a bad hand year after year, from the Bates injury to the Devon Daniels injury last year and then the unprecedented move to the NBA for his big-time recruits in Jalen Lecque and Josh Hall in back-to-back years. And yet, Keatts comes to work every day with a smile on his face and the very first thing he has said in each post-game presser for losses is that he’s proud of the fight in his guys.
These are very much Keatts’ guys, they are a fighting team that doesn’t back down. Sure, you’ll see the Pack play to its competition in both good and bad ways. But you can’t help but admire the fight of the hungry, young Wolfpack.
Think to the football team’s dismal 2019 season. It seemed as though there was no hope for the team, with a poor 4-8 record and some tough-to-stomach losses. But then, when you contextualize it, you realize that that team had injury issues and was incredibly young. Without that season, you don’t have the 2020 or 2021 iteration of the team that both won eight-plus games.
That’s the vision for this team, and the Pack is already ahead of the curve. Redshirt sophomore guard/forward Dereon Seabron has jumped into superstardom in his second season. Freshman guard Terquavion Smith is a natural bucket as a freshman and Dowuona is getting better by the game. Imagine when/if Dowuona is able to play alongside Bates in the frontcourt.
As for Seabron, the combo forward wasn’t on many professional radars entering the season, much less a potential first-round draft pick in the NBA. And yet, that’s where he’s getting mocked as of late. Keatts has a chance to have his very first NBA product.
The future is bright, that much was evident when five-star guard Robert Dillingham committed to the team, it’ll just take a while to get there.
As for living in the present, it’s hard to stomach, trust me. But enjoy watching Seabron battle every night. Look for the flashes in the play of exciting guards like Smith and sophomore Cam Hayes. Look forward to Gantt getting healthy. Once you come to terms with the reality of this team, you’ll begin to enjoy the little things that much more.
