Keatts: "We Need To Get Back To Work"

NC State head coach Kevin Keatts met with the media after the Wolfpack's 68-51 loss at Virginia.

Opening Statement...
Give Virginia credit. I thought they did a very good job. They is a very good team that Tony (Bennett) has this year. I knew coming in that they have won 15 games as a defensive team. 

I thought we played hard on both ends of the floor but going into the game I said in order to have a chance to win the game, especially here at UVA, we had to do a good job of sharing the basketball. When you look at it, seven assists were not good enough for us.

I thought our guys played with great energy and good effort. I thought we had too many individual breakdowns.

Certainly, when you are playing a team that keeps you to possessions, you can't have those mistakes. Give those guys credit. I am proud of my team for how hard they fought. Certainly, we need to get back to work. 

On guarding Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy...
I thought we did a tremendous job early in the game of running them off the line, not so much in the second half. when you look at it, we knew going in that those two guards shot over 40 percent from the three. We lost them a couple of times in the second half.

It is weird because every time we made a little run those guys made plays, especially Devon Hall. He did a tremendous job and I thought he scored at all three levels. He shot behind the arc, he made pull up jump shots and also got to the line seven times. 

Is Virginia better this year than last season (when Keatts faced them while at UNCW)? 
Well, it is hard to say if they are better. We are a different team. I was at a different school with different players in a different situation, so it is hard to say.  I will say (Tony Bennett) has a very good team. 

Have you ever coached at John Paul Jones Arena?
I have never coached here. Obviously, when I coached at prep school they have that NBA Top 100 Camp that is here. I worked there for a long time. It is a good place. It is a good-sized building.

Obviously, when you have got the team who is winning the fans will get behind them, so it is a good place to play at. 

On struggling to get the offense going due to Virginia's defense...
They are good. What makes them special, I know what everyone talks about is Pack Line defense, but what makes them special is that they have at least three or four guys who are very good individual defenders.

They do a good job of keeping you in front and then once you you get by those guys obviously they do a tremendous job as a team. 

Three-point shooting (2-of-15)...
If you look at the first half, I thought we had some great looks. I thought Braxton (Beverly) had some great looks. I thought we had some great looks behind the arc. Certainly, it was just one of those nights that didn't fall for us. 

What did it mean to get Markell Johnson back in the rotation and how did he look?
Obviously, it is good to have a seasoned guard back who has played in the ACC.

It is going to take him a little bit of time. He was a little rusty. 

Is there one guy you want to stop on Virginia's offense or are they too balanced for one guy?
Well they are balanced. What makes Virginia tough is those three guards are really, really good and the four and the five understand their roles. They don't take shots outside of the offense. When you look at Wilkins, he sets screen,s but he will pop out to 15, 18 feet and take shots. 

So, they understand who the shots are supposed to go to. They are very patient in what they are trying to run the offense in and, like I said, those three guards are really good. They can make shots. They can score.