Keatts: "Our Guys Competed"
NC State head coach Kevin Keatts met with the media after the Wolfpack's 98-71 win over USC Upstate.
Opening Statement...
I want to wish each of you a Merry Christmas... don’t take Christmas for granted. I’m the worst at it, but today or tomorrow, I’m going to get in the car, drive to Virginia, and spend time with my parents and some family members... at the end of the day this is a loving holiday. Don’t forget that part of it.
The game was the game. I thought our guys competed. The five guys who didn’t start obviously played tremendous today. This is why we’re called a team... I put together a roster with ten guys, I feel comfortable with playing.
Those guys scored 62 points off the bench and if our ADs will find out, I think that’s a record.
If you told me we’d be 11-1 going into Christmas break I’d take it ten out of ten and I’m happy. I’m going to enjoy the break and enjoy my family.
There was one time you pulled the starters and spoke with them with frustration... was that something to get across from them?
It wasn’t a message. I thought the other guys were playing better.
Those guys who are starting are starting for a reason. They’ve carried us for the majority of games, but I thought the other five played better. It was hard to keep the other guys off the floor.
Give Eric Lockett credit. Crazy coach myself, I didn’t even play the guy last game. He didn’t pout and he had a couple of good days of practice... went 3-for-3 behind the arc. The same thing with Blake, Jericole, DJ.
It wasn’t a message I wanted to send. I felt the other guys were playing better basketball and as the coach I have to put the best lineup out there for us.
More on Eric Lockett’s play...
Well he made me look like a bad coach because I didn’t play him.
He’s a veteran guy. He’s played a lot of games, he’s a graduate and is working on his Master’s right now. He understands.
I’m trying to create a culture where it doesn’t matter who gets the credit. We all get the credit.
Tonight, he was one of the guys responsible for our win.
Would you share the message at halftime? I understand there may have been some volume.
No, there wasn’t.
I don’t know if I’m getting old or not, but I don’t yell a lot. I used to... back at Hargrave I hit the locker so hard but I played it off. It hurt me so hard, but I learned, that locker was going to be fine but my arm wasn’t going to be.
I just said I’d start the other guys in the second half because they were playing so well.
But I didn’t yell. I was like this, I was calm.
DJ said you were [yelling]...
He didn’t even listen. He doesn’t know what I said.
What is it about this group where they play like they’ve been playing for years together”
They compete. Very seldom do you find a program where ten guys will compete every possession.
I know some of the guys didn’t play well, but they competed. I’m proud of these guys because every practice, every game, every four-minute segment, they give me effort every time.
We don’t do everything right, but we do a great job of competing every time and that’s all I can ask for.