Kevin Keatts: "We Need Everybody To Play Well"

NC State head coach Kevin Keatts discussed the upcoming matchup against North Carolina, Mike James, and much more with the media on his weekly ACC Zoom call.

NOTE: Click the video above to watch the interview.

What do you think is maybe the biggest factor you think will be in beating Carolina on Wednesday? 

Well, we're trying to figure that out now. I thought if we can talk about just the first game, I thought we gave up way too many transition baskets as Carolina's really good in transition. And then I thought they really, offensive rebounds really hurt us. I just thought they got so many easy baskets and then obviously they made some plays down the stretch. 
 

In that first matchup, I thought Elliott Cadeau did a really good job setting the table for them as a playmaker. Just your thoughts on his game and how important is it trying to keep him in front and out of the paint in this matchup?

James, he was really good. I mean, I know we're going to talk about him in the paint, but I think he had five threes in that game. And I thought his teammates did a great job of finding him. I thought Ven-Allen Lubin and both Jalen Washington did a great job rolling to the rim. And then he made some corner shots on us and played really well. I thought he was really good in transition and I thought he played a really complete game against us where he scored in so many ways. Number one, we got to do a good job of getting back in transition. He's almost sometimes like a one-man show. But he was really good, and if we can figure out how to slow him down, round two will be better for us. 
 

You guys jumped Boston College pretty early. I know Jayden Taylor did really well. Was that a point of emphasis going into that game, and is that something that was rewarding to see? 

Rob, it was very refreshing. We had outside of, I would think, I would say a little bit maybe at Wake Forest. I didn't think our defense was good in those two places, home and away. But we got back to defending. And it kind of looked a little normal. JT's playing a really good defense on the ball, did a great job early on for us. And, Michael back to having six assists and everybody kind of scoring and playing the way they did. But I think we did a good job. We talked about going into the game. We had to establish ourselves on a defensive end, and we really did. I thought our guys were really locked in and did a great job. And, our defense has kept us in, you during the streak. Our defense has really helped us and kept us in a lot of games. And we just had to get back to defending. 
 

Kevin, speaking of the defensive side of the basketball, Dennis Parker Jr., I asked you about him on Saturday, but you've got 20 plus minutes in this past game. Last time that you played against UNC, you got 18 minutes in that game and had three blocks. And just your thoughts on what he does on the defensive end to really help this team, especially with his size that he gives you.

Dennis has been a guy who's always played really hard. We got him to play. He was playing with great energy. This team, Cory, there's not a lot of separation between, three and number eight guy. And we're looking for spark plugs right now. And if you look at the game on Saturday, I thought Dennis was a spark plug. I've said Jayden was playing, Jayden Taylor basketball, Michael with six assists. I thought Dennis got back to, affecting the game in so many different ways, getting out in transition, active on the defensive end, rebounding the basketball. And, this team needs someone to bring great energy. And I thought he did that part of it. And then, looking back at the Carolina game, I thought also in round one, I thought he played with great energy and passion. 
 

Hey, coach, we've seen it all over college basketball, the lack of consistency from one year to the next, is that going to be a feature that we see given the transfer portal, given the way these rosters change, that it's going to be tough to build the same thing from year to year? 

Brian, 100 percent. I mean, if you just look at our league, probably outside of Louisville, which some of that probably has to do with NIL, you look at our league, the teams that are consistent right now, you speak of Clemson, just getting two really good players back that are, knows what they're doing. Obviously, Duke because Cooper makes them really good. But it's hard to build programs, to build culture the way you want to when there is going to be so much turnover. And I think the biggest adjustment is going to have to come from us coaches. We have to figure out how to, obviously, bring a new group in every year and then push your culture on them a lot earlier than you ever expect. I think it's really hurt our league, probably a little bit more than everybody else, because we typically have a lot of pros or guys who may not be happy and end up going into the transfer portal. But it will not be an easy thing from year to year just because there's going to be turnover. Like, you could have a roster. You might bring in eight to ten guys every year from this point on. 
 

Do you expect to have Mike James at all the rest of the year? 

I would say we're getting towards the point where it's probably not going to happen. We did have conversations last week and we talked about that. But, it's down to a point. Does it make sense? Talking to Mike, I think he wants to play. But as I speak to his doctor and trainer, he's not 100 percent. And, what you feel for is coming down the stretch with six regular season games, do you throw him out there and then he ends up turning Achilles or something else? I would say really, really unlikely at this point. I haven't completely ruled it out, but I would say it's really unlikely at this point.
 

Typically it seems like you guys have been able to cut it down to an eight or nine man rotation most years. This year feels like you're playing more guys. What do you think the reason is for that? 

I think James there is not a lot of separation between three and ten and what we've been able to you know, I think you guys I've said this, James, for the entire season coming into this year. We don't have a superstar. And so we need everybody to play well. And so right now we're continuing to, who's playing well at the time. And that's why last year we got down to about seven or eight guys that we knew were going to play at this point with this group. We had to figure out who's playing well going into this game and who's who's ready to go. And that's probably why we're playing so many guys. 
 

Y'all have struggled to close games this season, but you were able to hold on Saturday, you know, to pull off that win. How much confidence did it give the team to know that, hey, we actually can close this out? 

Yeah, it was good. It was refreshing. We've been on the losing end of a bunch of those games. The three games that point out to stand out to me were, we were able to beat Florida State here. And over time, we were to close the game. And the same thing you could say about Notre Dame. This was a little bit different because we had a little bit more of a cushion. But I thought it was. I thought our guys were locked in for two halves. May have been the best two halves that we play, you know, especially on the defensive end. And so, Jayden, it was refreshing. We needed to put our back against the wall a little bit. We wanted to win a game here at home. We feel like we dropped a few when we were really close. But it was really good, too. I was happy for our guys to be able to finish and have them to feel good about themselves, obviously, going into the weekend. All right.
 

Jayden Taylor seems to really relish playing R.J. Davis. What is it like when they battle each other and how does he basically make R.J. earn every point he gets? 

Well, R.J.'s good. And, obviously, Jayden's a really good competitor. We just try to make it tough on him. I mean, R.J.'s good. He's a proven guy in our league. He's been really good for a long time. Feel like he's been here for a long, long time. We just try to make as many things tough as you can. And for us, our best defender on the ball, defender right now in this group is Jayden. So we do a lot of switching, but he'll have some opportunity to guard him. But I don't think anybody guards him. I think R.J. is a guy that, when he's making shots, he's as tough as anybody to guard in our league. And we'll have a bunch of guys who'll be able to guard him on Wednesday.