Keatts: "We Are Starting To Come Together"

NC State head coach Kevin Keatts fielded questions from the media on the ACC's weekly teleconference.

Opening Statement...
This week we had two really competitive games at home. Obviously, when you look at the Wake Forest game, I thought both of the games we played, Wake Forest and Miami, were both possession games. We found a way to win the Wake Forest game and obviously it was a great home win for us. 

Then [Sunday] we played a noon game which was a very good game for both teams, especially on the offensive end. At the end of the game give Miami credit. I thought they made more plays than us. They ended up winning the game. 

We are starting to understand how I want them to play. We can be better in every area. 

When you talk about the biggest jump or the payer that has made the most improvement, it is Omer Yurtseven. He is becoming a very reliable scorer for us, both inside and out. I think our guys are starting to have a lot of confidence in him right now. 

Our team is starting to get better. I think we are starting to come together now that we have kind of got everybody back on the team. I look forward to getting better every day. 

What challenges does the week ahead present for your team?
I don’t think our guys -- they’ll be focused for the Wednesday night game. Obviously, we won’t try to look ahead. We don’t have that type of team where our guys are focusing on two or three opponents down the road. 

We understand that coming off the two home games, where we thought we played really good in both games and unfortunately we came up short [Sunday] against Miami, but obviously we have got to take [Monday and Tuesday] and lock in -- and obviously clean up some things, especially on the defensive end. Then obviously get ready to play against Pitt. 

Is there anything you need to work on to lay better on the road?
When you look at those three [road] games I think we played against three really good teams on their home venue and if you go back and look at them, all three teams have had in the last year an unbelievable home record. 

The Clemson game we came out and played extremely well and didn't finish the half. We led for a good portion of the first half and then, I thought, going into half they had a nine-point lead. 

When you look at Notre Dame, Ii thought they were lights out. They shot the heck out of the ball and played extremely well. Virginia, it’s tough. Iit is a tough environment to play in. I didn’t know this until after the game but in six years they are 44-4 at home and, obviously, they really can defend you.

So we are going to move forward. Starting [Monday] we are prepping for Pittsburgh and understanding what are challenges are. We are coming off what I feel like are two really good games for us. I just want to try to build on that and get these guys ready for that game. 

How do you fix the defensive issues?
I think our biggest thing is we’ve had different combinations because they haven’t played together as much. We are having a few breakdowns. I still like where we are when you even go back to our conference games and we returned some guys over at Clemson.

That part of it I am okay with. I think we have to be better and more disciplined as far as our communication and not having so many defensive lapses because of a lack of communication but I am happy with where we are. The system is working the way I want it. We are able to pick up guys full-court, we are able to force some tough shots and some quick shots and even getting some turnovers but we are having too many miscommunication problems. 

Do you prefer Yurtseven being guarded by a four or with a bigger guy who would be more prepared to guard him in the post?
I think he has done a great job of adjusting either way. We understand that, obviously, he is playing good basketball that he is going to get a lot of different looks. Even, at times, he may get some guys that will double-team him. 

I think he is comfortable either way, playing where he is picking and popping and making shots, but he has also been very efficient around the basket scoring over either shoulder. 

He and his teammates have done a great job of adjusting to whichever way people decide to guard him. 

What was Virginia able to do against  Yurtseven to limit his production?
It is tough for a post guy to score in Virginia, the way the play on the defensive end. They trap you. They do a good job of gapping you, they dig out of it. 

That was one of those games where I give more credit to Virginia’s defense than I will that Omer didn’t play well. 

What has been the adjustment been like for Markell Johnson coming back to the lineup?
He has had to adjust and I think the biggest thing for him is we kind of pride ourselves on being in good shape and I think the biggest thing for him is to learn how to play fast on both ends of the floor. 

We are a different team and the short amount of games [Johnson was absent] we took on a little different identity but he is a very important piece to us because he is our most efficient passer. He can be one of the better on-the-ball defenders we have so Ii think the adjustment more so is getting him out there to play a little bit longer in stretches without making mistakes. 

I felt like [Sunday] when you look at his number, he had 14 assists but he also had six turnovers and some of those turnovers came because of not being in the shape he needs to be in. 

What has happened to make Yurtseven break out and live up to the past expectations?
Let’s give him a lot of credit. Also, I think my assistant coaches have done a tremendous job with him. He is one of our hardest workers. He loves the gym, when he is not in class. He has been more focused than anyone on our team. 

He is always in the gym getting up shots. He has completely bought into our system. He understands now what where he can get shots from, scoring the ball inside and out. He has become a very reliable player for us. 

One of the biggest things with him is he is such a nice young man. He is playing with tremendous confidence. He knows that he has tremendous offensive freedom in our system and we kind of move him around and play him in a lot of different positions where he can score from the outside and the inside. 

He has taken on that challenge and he has become a good player. What is lost in it is a lot of times he doesn’t get credit for some of the things he does on the defensive end. He has also become a very reliable shot-blocker for us also. 

So I think the biggest adjustment for him is feels comfortable with us as a staff. I think he is understanding and feels very comfortable with our sort of system that we have.