Kevin Keatts: "We Just Want to Build on This"

NC State head coach Kevin Keatts met with the media following the Wolfpack's 82-70 win over Saint Louis Wednesday evening.

NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Keatts’ press conference.

Opening Statement

I’m really happy with our guys. These couple of weeks are really the toughest that you’re going to play games. You’re in exams. For example, this is Saint Louis’ last game before they go home for Christmas break, so you have a lot of different things on your mind. The schedule is not the same. We are practicing at different times because we don’t have class. I told these guys that this will be the toughest team that we have played at home this year, and they are good. When you look at the fact that Gibson Jimerson can really score the basketball, Terrence Hargrove Jr. is really good, and they have added a two-time transfer who has completely changed their team. We had to put the record out of the window because it didn’t matter what their record was coming in. Even though they’re 7-5, we knew we were going to play a good team on our home floor. If you don’t lock in, then it wouldn’t have been a good outcome. I thought our second half was tremendous. We had a 27-9 run. We had 10 assists in the second half. Ben Middlebrooks came in and gave us a big lift. I thought that D.J. [Horne] was really good. It was great for Casey [Morsell] to see the ball go back into the hole. It’s exciting. We just want to build on this and move on from this one.

On the Wolfpack’s three-point shooting in the second half...

I thought we took some questionable ones [in the first half]. I didn’t think we took rhythm three-point shots. I think we forced a couple of them. We didn’t pass the ball in the first half. I got the stat sheet at halftime; we had three assists, and I almost lost my mind. Certainly in the second half, we made plays. We made plays for each other. We had 10 assists, and so I think when we move the ball, this team is really good. I think we were more individuals rather than a team as far as offensively early in the first half.

On DJ Burns’ offensive role...

He’s a pressure release for us. He’s another point guard on the floor, and we look for different matchups. Obviously, we thought he had an advantage. We needed someone to score at the time. The great thing about D.J. is that he can score in the post, but he also did a great job kicking the ball out to D.J. Horne for a three. We liked the matchup we saw.

On veterans stepping up in the second half...

You look at D.J. Horne; I thought he made big plays. I thought Casey Morsell made big plays. I thought D.J. Burns made good plays, and I thought Ben came in and was really good. When you have transfer guys, as we go through the season, we are trying to figure out who takes those shots and who makes those plays. I thought Michael O’Connell was really good. He was solid and ran our team. He did a good job and found people. Those are the older guys on the team.

On scoring off of turnovers...

We are a really good basketball team. It looks like we scored 29 points off of defense. When we are active, getting deflections, we’re getting in the passing lanes, and we’re getting some of our offense from our defense, it’s really good for us. I was really happy about that. I thought our conditioning kicked in in the second half. We played so many guys. This is what I’m looking for: to wear people down.

On Kam Woods and M.J. Rice contributing...

Those guys are going to be good. If I was writing for NC State, I wouldn’t write how much they are playing right now. It’s a process. I had to step back a little bit because I was throwing guys out there that had no idea what they were doing. We even talked about them playing on Saturday, then going home for a break before coming back and finally getting some reps. They both can help us. They both will help us. They are both really good basketball players. It’s a little unfair that we’re throwing them in the mix right now when they really don’t know what they’re doing. They don’t know ball-screen coverages; they’re just out there hooping. Both of them have had great moments, but I’ve had to step back and figure out how to inch these guys in, do more teaching from film, and put them in more practice situations. They’re both going to be good basketball players for us. I don’t want anyone writing that they aren’t this or that. It has nothing to do with their abilities. They just don’t know what they don’t know.