NC State men’s basketball head coach Kevin Keatts called NC State women’s basketball head coach Wes Moore the morning before the Wolfpack’s second-round game against Tennessee. Moore was surprised by the call but knew he had to pick it up.
“He called me at 8 this morning, which I really wasn’t ready for,” Moore said. “But when it’s Coach Keatts, you answer.”
Moore didn’t go into details about what the phone call was about but it may have been Keatts telling Moore he would be at the game to support his coaching peer. Keatts was in attendance for the women’s second-round win at Reynolds Coliseum, much like Moore was in Washington D.C., to support the men when they won the ACC Championship.
While Moore and his team weren’t able to cheer on the men in Pittsburgh because they had their own NCAA Tournament game to prepare for, every member of the team was locked in watching the second-round game versus Oakland on Saturday night.
The Wolfpack women were in the meeting room at a hotel in Raleigh watching the game, but every big moment NC State had was spoiled because they could hear the fans cheering at the bar in the hotel.
“We stayed over here at the StateView, and we had a little meeting room in the back, and of course, we’re watching their game,” Moore said. “We were streaming [the game] so they would go wild in the bar, and then we were like, okay, something good is happening. But it was a lot of fun.”
Both squads have supported each other all year, and now NC State is one of the four schools with their men’s and women’s teams in the Sweet 16. It’s the first time the Wolfpack has accomplished this feat since 1989.
“So happy for both,” Moore said. “They have been on an unbelievable run. I’ve enjoyed it so much. Our players on both sides really are good friends, tight, and Coach Keatts and I, I love the guy. I’m so happy for him.”
Not only have both teams felt the support of each other, but even when the men’s squad was in Pittsburgh, it felt the love of the fans. It was crucial to have Wolfpack fans away from home whenever it needed some extra juice to pull out the wins.
“I think it’s huge since we’re not on our home court right now we have a lot of fans that are traveling,” said graduate guard Michael O’Connell. “I think when we’re at these neutral sites and you have a fanbase there for you and getting excited, it helps when you go on a run. It helps you keep it going, and then when things aren’t going well, it helps you get back in the game.”
As for the women, they claimed a top-four seed, meaning their first two games were played at Reynolds Coliseum, so the fans didn’t have to travel to see their squad play. Playing at Reynolds Coliseum is a massive advantage and the home court propelled the Pack to the Sweet 16.
“No doubt the crowd is a big plus,” Moore said. “Let’s face it, playing here at home, that’s why all year long I’m so stressed out because I know every game matters so much if you’re trying to be a top 16 seed and get to host. They’ve worked their tails off all year to get that little advantage, and just proud of them for cashing in on it.”
With the support of the fans and each other, both basketball squads made the Sweet 16 for the first time in over 30 years. Students and fans of NC State have celebrated at the Belltower after every win, and Keatts has enjoyed seeing the student body come together to celebrate the Wolfpack’s success.
“I love our students; I mean, our students are the best,” Keatts said. “When you win a huge game, we light that Belltower and everybody meets at that Belltower. It was funny, I saw one video and they were like, ‘When is the light coming on? When is the light coming on?’ I thought it was great.”
Keatts understands what it means to a school when its basketball programs have success and knows the impact it has on the University as a whole.
“When we win, it’s not just about our basketball team; it’s about our school, and it’s about our students,” Keatts said. “To see us playing that well and obviously providing that spark for our entire school and our student body, who has been with us at games and screaming and yelling at those games, it means a lot. We don’t just win as a basketball program. We win as a University.”
