Keatts: "I'm Really Excited"

NC State head coach Kevin Keatts met with the media to discuss the upcoming game against Mount St. Mary's.

Opening Statement...
Obviously starting to season tomorrow and I'm really excited for some of our players.  I was thinking about it today, we've got three guys, really two, Cj Bryce and Devon Daniels, who haven't played over a year.

We've tried to improve on some things that we didn't do well in the Chowan exhibition and I know our guys are obviously tired of practicing against each other, so they're all excited about playing basketball tomorrow.

We'll play a very good team that's got a lot of tradition, Mount St. Mary's. When you think about in the last few years they've done a tremendous job and they play a very similar style to us where they try to get up and down... pick you up for court.

It should be one of those fun, exciting games.

What are you kind of expecting for tomorrow? 
Well, I'm excited for them. Uh, I'm sure that there'll be a lot of nervous energy when you think about some of these guys, they haven't played in a while.

I'm looking for chemistry and I'm looking for a lot of different lineups. I will do the same thing we did an exhibition game, but I'm excited for these guys.

What are some of the things that you guys have been working on leading into the season?
I wanted us to do a better job of blocking out. I thought we gave up a few more offensive rebounds that I would like.

That being said, when you give up offensive rebounds, you don't get a chance to get out and run as much. I know we scored 111 points in the exhibition, but I want to get out and try to get out and transition a little bit more.

One of the things that we've been focusing on, trying to hit people... just communicating more on a court whether it's on the offensive end or defensive end.

What is the approach you take when you're sitting down with the kid and trying to convince him to play basketball for your school?
Well, I think you have to, number one, obviously sell your program and your system. That's important. Obviously we've got a tremendous program that I think that fans obviously love and players love to play in. I think it was fun for you guys to cover.

You talk about a great university and we certainly have that... academically and just a great place to go to school in Raleigh.

I just think you have to hit the high points and you have to try to get some guys that you feel like fit into what you're trying to do.

Do you have a timeline on Braxton?
Braxton is doing better. We've actually threw him into one or two drills to try to shoot the basketball.

He's still a ways away and I don't know that I have a timetable for you guys.

So I don't know where he's at. In my mind, I wish he could play tomorrow, but I'm looking at probably two or three weeks out... hopefully.

I'm going to listen to the doctors and trainer to tell me when he can play, and I hope it's sooner than later. We need him. We love his leadership. I know he's obviously a good player and can make shots, but I think we miss the leadership more than anything.

Who are you looking to step up in that role as primary shooters?
The two guys who played for me last year have to do a great job, Torin Dorn and Markell Johnson. CJ Bryce has also played for me for a couple of years and Devon Daniels I would like to see play well.

I think those four guys where they have to play well and I think everybody else has to follow.

When you look at a guy like Wyatt Walker who is free spirited, a high-energy guy.  Everybody loves him, and I think his leadership and how hard he plays... everybody could follow that.

How does that feeling compare from your first game last year to going into this opener?
Ask me tomorrow after the game, I have one more day to prepare.

No, I'm excited man.  I told our team the other day, what we did last year was a very special year, especially with some guys who were coming off a year that they didn't have a lot of success. We don't take it for granted that we won 11 games in the ACC, it's hard to do on any given year. 

That being said, that's a totally different team and I'm excited about this group.

Does this one feel like more your style of team?
I would say yes. We have the pieces to play the way we want to play, but I don't want to cheat last year's team. Those guys bought into my system and we actually played our style.

What I said earlier was that we probably had about 75 percent of our system in and hopefully now we'll get up to 90 to 95 percent.

I love it where we can play... I keep using the word for this team and versatility and I think that's what we have in this group.

Last year you had proven bigs. When you're up worried about this year I'd assume that would be high on the list, how you can rebound and defend the post.
I'd agree with you, but the big we played last year, Omer, was really coming off a freshman campaign where he didn't have a great year.  He stepped up.

I think the three bigs that I played in the exhibition game, help me sleep a little better knowing that they can contribute in different ways. When you look at Wyatt, he did a tremendous job rebounding the ball, and he's a great passer.

You can't ignore the way DJ played. DJ did a tremendous job going 7-for-7 from the field, so those guys will do it in a different way.

How much does it help having a guy like Torin Dorn who has been here for a long time?
In college basketball, if you can stay older or in this situation you can stay experienced, I think that's better.

We have some older guys but what we don't have is game experience, so having him as a guy who's been through the wars and obviously played in the system... is huge for us because his leadership is going to be important for guys that have never really went through a season of NC State basketball.

With the athletes you guys have you'll be able to get some offense out of the defense, but are you also curious how they'll do in the half court sets?
I know we want to be an uptempo team and we want to get out and transition, but unfortunately the other team has scouting reports. We know we've worked really hard trying to be efficient in the half court and we expect to see early on, especially  with Braxton out, a good dose of some zone sometime and then some man-to-man.

So we've worked on trying to be better in the halfcourt.

Are you looking for CJ to do something different here with different guys around him?
No, I just want him to play.  If he can average 17 points a game at this level, then I'm great with them.

I try to create an atmosphere where our guys can play loose. I give them tremendous offensive freedom without getting crazy. I hope he just plays the way he plays.