NC State head coach Kevin Keatts met with the media to discuss the upcoming ACC road game at Louisville.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview. A transcript of the interview is below.
Update on Markell Johnson...
I think I said it the other day, he’s a guy that could play on Thursday or could play three or four weeks from now. I’m not going to play him until he feels mentally and physically ready to play.
There won’t be any pressure on our end. We’re prepared to go into every game without him. If he’s able to play, feels he can play, and the doctors and trainers say he can play we’d definitely love to have him back in our lineup somewhere playing.
Is he practicing?
He’s getting shots up with no contact at this point. He’s not moving really fast, but anything we do at the beginning where we get shots up and there is no contact and we break down into post and perimeter he participates in that.
Does he seem to feel sore after?
No I think he feels better each day. I typically get a report from our trainer right after practice and every night and the report last night was he felt better after working out yesterday.
It’s one of those deals where if you look at it, he took a pretty nasty fall. He doesn’t have a lot of meat in that area and fell on his back so he’s really, really sore.
What kind of lift has DJ given you off the bench?
He’s been great.
He’s the one guy because he’s long and athletic he can get to a lot of offensive rebounds. He’s been great in that area, but he’s also done a great job with defensive presence.
I go back to the Pitt game where he had to play a lot of minutes and did a tremendous job without getting into foul trouble. He made some shots and ran the floor.
He also gives us the ability on the defensive end where we can switch all screens if we have to because he’s the only guy on our roster who can guard all five positions on the floor.
He’s been very valuable to us.
How do you feel he’s adapted to playing more true center?
When he’s in the game we typically don’t have a true center. Wyatt Walker is tyically the closest we have to a true center.
We have two power forwards or two forwards when he’s on the floor.
Thoughts on Funderburk’s play at Hargrave...
He’s a guy who was always on the front of a press, he played with energy... he was one of the guys I considered getting things done. He played hard and affected every aspect of the game.
Then he went to JUCO and some projected him as the No. 1 JUCO in the country. We’re able to have him here and he’s only going to get better as the years go on. He’ll continue to put on weight and I’ll love to see him up to next year add 20 more pounds to his frame.
Why don’t you start him?
It’s a couple of different things. I don’t like him getting into early foul trouble, but he’s also played so great off the bench. He comes off and gives us a great lift.
He will start games before the season is over; I don’t know when that will be, but he’s so valuable to our program.
Did you think you had him in your hip pocket?
I didn’t know we had him in our hip pocket but I felt we had a little bit of advantage because AW had coached him.
A lot of schools backed off because they thought at the end of the day if NC State wanted him we’d get him because of his relationship with AW at Hargrave.
Do you have to play at another level to beat Louisville?
I think we have to play high-level basketball to win there.
They are playing as good as any team in our conference. After the Pitt loss I don’t think they’ve had a game closer than 10 points... they had an unbelievable win at Carolina and on the road with Georgia Tech.
Nwora is playing very good basketball. He’s shooting the ball extremely well. They are talented and play hard.
Chris is doing a great job with the program.
Do they remind you of your team last year... first year coach with low expectations?
I said the same thing about Pitt... both programs have bought into their new coach and system, very similar to us last year... I would say yes.
What are the emotions like going back there?
My emotions are I’m hoping we can go there and get a win. I’m the NC State coach and excited about our guys. For me it’s another great opponent on their floor. It’s so hard to win in the ACC on the road.
It’s hard to win anywhere, but on the road it’s tough. My emotions will be locked in to making sure DJ Funderburk rebounds the basketball.
What do you have to do to neutralize Nwora?
We have to be there on the catch. He’s really good. I told the staff that he reminds me so much of Cam Johnson with how he can shoot the ball with his height.
He’s very good around the NBA line but he can also step back and take shots. Right now he’s shooting into a big rim.
The only game in the ACC they didn’t win, he didn’t have a great game. That was Pittsburgh.
