Keatts: "We Won The Game On The Defensive End"
NC State head coach Kevin Keatts met with the media after the Wolfpack's 72-63 win over Wake Forest.
Head Coach Kevin Keatts
Opening Statement...
I thought it was another really good ACC game. I thought we had too many breakdowns. I didn’t like the way we were playing. We gave up too many transition baskets. We made some adjustments in the second half.
Give our guys a lot of credit. I thought we won the game on the defensive end on a night where we weren’t shooting the ball well. Our last four minutes were really good. I thought we held them scoreless in the last four minutes. Markell and TD (Torin Dorn) made two huge baskets to take us to the end.
On Omer Yurtseven...
He is getting better. It all comes with your teammates believing in you and looking for him. The last couple games, the way people have played ball screens, we have been able to give him some open shots, and he has really made them pay for it.
He is starting to believe in himself and scoring around the basket. He is doing good scoring but is also our leading shot blocker.
On the defense and having three point guards on the floor at the end...
I wanted to put on pressure, and I don’t want to say which one because I don’t want to tip anybody off. But I thought our guys were active and in the passing lanes, and it was a big point of the game.
On having Markell Johnson back and what he brings to the team...
The guy who is benefitting more with Markell Johnson being back is probably Braxton Beverly because we can free him up from having to handle the basketball. Also, I think he’s helped Omer (Yurtseven). When you look at it, before Markell left, he was our leading assist guy. He can find people and also I can have him and Lavar (Batts, Jr.) on the floor at the same time. That’s one of our best defensive groups.
On Braxton Beverly being one assist shy of a double-double and his improvement as a passer...
Well that’s bad assistant coaching because when a kid is one assist away from a double-double, they’re supposed to tell me that I’ve got to run a play where I know it’s a home run.
He’s playing well. Those two guys are growing up quick, Braxton and Lavar (Batts, Jr.). Lavar is starting to come along, but Braxton is getting confidence every game and is playing extremely good basketball.
On Markell’s return...
He’s been great. He’s been pleasant. I think anytime you go through adversity, it kind of helps you grow up in a way, and he’s been a pleasure to be around. Obviously, he’s not in great shape.
He’s one of the only guys to put his hands up and say that he’s tired. We’ve got a rule that if you put your hands up and say you’re tired, then I’ll get you out and put you back into the game. It never worked for the rest of the guys, but he’s really tired. But he’s coming along. His conditioning is getting better.
On going with the same lineup for the last minutes of the game...
Those guys were playing well. I’ve got some guys on the bench that I felt like were fresh and could’ve played, but those guys were playing good basketball, and I didn’t want to break their rhythm.