Kevin Keatts: "We Just Want To Stay Focused And Locked In"
NC State head coach Kevin Keatts spoke with the media via Zoom during the ACC's weekly teleconference Monday morning.
NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Keatts’ press conference.
On keeping the team poised heading into the Georgia Tech game…
Well, I think they’re really good, and sometimes records don’t indicate how good you are. I saw enough when they were able to beat Miami at Georgia Tech. What’s unique about what Josh [Pastner] has done there is that they’ve mixed their defenses up. You’re going to see a couple of different zones, then you’ll see some man-to-man, and then anytime you run a Princeton offense, it can kind of keep you in the game. We just want to stay focused and locked in. We’re not good enough where we can say we can look at anybody and think, because of their record, that it’s an automatic win. Our league is so good that anybody can beat you on any given night, and so our focus has been turning the page from a very good win at home versus Miami to going to play a very good team in Georgia Tech on the road.
On D.J. Burns as a passer…
You know, what makes him really good is his ability to find other guys. It kind of puts you in a bit of a tougher situation because you have to pick your poison. Do you want him to score the basketball, or if you decide that you’re going to double him, what makes him unique is his ability to find people and make passes. I think that’s an underrated part of his game because he is a good passer. He’s almost like a point guard at the center position because he always makes the right play. I think that’s what makes him really tough to guard.
On the final play in regulation versus Miami…
We were trying to get [Jarkel Joiner] to go screen for [Terquavion Smith] and to drive into D.J. getting to the baseline for a drop-off. Obviously, [Norchad] Omier is a tremendous shot blocker, and so we felt like if we could get Jarkel getting down the lane to his right hand, we would have him come over, rotate, and make a shot. When it doesn’t work out, it looks bad. He just dribbled and ended up taking a crazy three. I will say this to you: let’s give Miami more credit for the defensive effort. I thought [Harlon] Beverly did a great job of defending him, not going forward, and staying locked in. We were fortunate enough to move on in overtime to get the win.
On which stat is more impressive: Ernest Ross’ 17 points or six offensive rebounds in his 22 minutes on the court…
You’re asking me to pick which one of my sons I love the most. I love both of those. His 17 points were really good, and here’s why they were good. All year long, I thought he settled for taking corner threes. He’s always open, and he’s open for a reason. This time, he decided to play around the rim. Give D.J. credit; he found him on a lot of those. But his offensive rebounds were tremendous. They were timely. They were great when we needed them at the time. He had two games last year, maybe not 17 and nine, that showed us glimpses of what he can do. One was at Virginia Tech, and the other was at Louisville. We just hope he can build on this. Between him and Greg [Gantt], when Jack [Clark] went down, they stepped up in a huge way, and they’ve really helped our team.
On if Burns’ passing ability was apparent in his Big South days…
When he plays in a smaller conference in the Big South, of course he’s going to see a lot of double teams, and so we were able to see his ability to pass the ball, but this is not a surprise. We knew coming in that he was a really good passer. You just don’t respect or appreciate it as much until he’s playing for you.
On Gantt’s performance…
It shows a little bit about the roster we’ve been able to put together. Last year, we lost so many important pieces through injuries, and the year before, it was Devon Daniels' situation. I thought the year before when Devon went down, we were able to bounce back, finish 9-8 in the league, and won five road games at the end. Last year, we couldn’t. We couldn’t overcome what we had with our injuries. These guys have stepped up in a major way. You look at what Greg’s done, and he’s used his experience. He’s a guy who’s battled injuries, and his knee’s been bothering him, but he went from not playing to almost playing 30 minutes a game, maybe a little more, and just came in and played hard. Ernest is something we’ve expected. It’s been a little slower coming off of his ankle injury from last year. He’s shown some flashes in practice but hadn’t played that way. That being said, leading up to the Miami game, I thought he had two good practices that helped him. Our guys have really bought in. It’s tough when you’re losing two starters. Dusan [Mahorcic] meant so much to us because he played hard and rebounded the ball. Jack Clark was our leading rebounder, and he’s also a three-point threat. We’ve had to completely switch a little bit in how we play, and the credit goes to those guys who have stepped up. That would be Greg, Ebenezer [Dowuona], and Ernest.
On the opportunities NC State has with Georgia Tech and North Carolina on schedule this week…
We focus in on the next game. We’ve got a great opportunity to play against Georgia Tech who loves to mix it up and confuse you. Every game in this league is so important. If you think that it’s not, there’s something wrong with you. On any given night, you can win, and on any given night, you can lose. When I stood back and watch a really, really talented Miami team go to Georgia Tech and lose, that really opens your eyes up. Like I said, Josh has done a good job with those guys.
On how he’d assess his new coaching staff thus far…
Our coaches are working. They’re doing a really good job. I think the main focus of any coaching staff and ones you put together is bringing people in who are locked in and committed to our players and getting them better from day to day. They’ve done a tremendous job. One of the hardest things as coaches, especially as assistant coaches, is trying to build a relationship with every player and getting them to trust you. I think our guys have done a good job of gaining trust from the players and putting in a lot of work, and I’m excited to have them all here.
On Saturday’s game versus North Carolina…
I’m just focused on Georgia Tech. That’s our next game. It would be very unfair and silly of me to think past that.
On the Wolfpack’s success on defense…
I would’ve said [this was my best defensive team] up until the Miami game. Miami just destroys all your defensive numbers. It was one of those that, “Who can score the most?” You get 83 points, and you’d think it should be an easy game, and it’s a two-point game. We have become a little better defensively, a little bit more stingy. One of the reasons for it is Jarkel Joiner has done a great job at the point of attack on the defensive end. We’re understanding a little bit more how to keep guys in front and not give up so many easy baskets. I do like our defensive intensity right now, especially when you look at the two best defensive games we’ve played: Duke here at home where we were able to hold them to 22 points in the first half and [Virginia Tech] on the road. I will say that I like the way this team is defending. It questions everything when you look at the Miami tape because [Isaiah] Wong had a stretch were you thought we didn’t even try to defend him. He’s a good player. We are building. I like where we’re at. Hopefully, we can continue to get better in those areas.