Kevin Keatts: "We Did Some Really Good Things"

NC State head coach Kevin Keatts met with the media after the Wolfpack's 113-73 win over Mount Olive.

NOTE: Click the video above to watch the press conference.

Opening Statement...
Guys, I thought we did some really good things out here. You know I wanted to see some improvement from our scrimmage game and I thought I did. I thought we came up both halves very solid. I thought we played extremely hard on both ends. It was a good takeaway. I told the guys in the locker room this would be our last dress rehearsal before we open the season with Georgia Tech, which is a huge game for not just us but our entire conference.

I like where we’re at right now. I think if you look at our veteran guards all three of those guys played a tremendous game. They controlled the game, they got to the free throw line and they made shots. If I can get three or three of the four of those guys, Braxton (Beverly) being one, playing well every night, then we have a chance to win every game.

So I’m excited about what I’ve seen in the scrimmage and the exhibition and now obviously we have to go to work. I think we got like seven or eight practices where we have to get ready for Georgia Tech. 

On Manny Bates...
Man, I’m just happy. That kid went through so much. For him to be able to get out on the floor for the first time in PNC - and I thought the crowd was tremendous. You don’t respect Manny Bates until he’s in the game with you and he’s behind you and you make a mistake.

He kind of wipes out your mistake. But I couldn’t be more happy for a kid. He deserves to play. I’m excited about him. If he can stay healthy, he’ll be one of the better players that plays in his position.

On feeling Bates’ energy...
I did. He started off a little slow in our closed scrimmage. You know, it was his first time playing in two years and I thought tonight he was excited about playing. He looked for his offense a little bit which he hadn’t done that in a couple of days or so, but I mean we are talking about one of the nicest kids you’re going to meet. Like I told you, it was a little emotional for me just to have the opportunity to watch him play.

On points off turnovers being a strength...
I hope so. When you look at the stats sheet from our two scrimmages - you may not have them - we forced 26 turnovers, and that’s important for us to be really good. We play up-tempo and try to get in the passing lanes. I thought our guys did a great job in the scrimmage. We had 47 deflections and I didn’t get the total in the end, but at halftime we had 23 so that’s good.

On differences in not having a full rotation of players...
Yeah, you know I thought tonight we had some guys - nobody seriously injured - we had some guys who were a little banged-up and a little sore. Obviously I need them on November 5, as opposed to tonight where we took a little break and got some guys out.

I wanted Braxton (Beverly), his knee - nothing is wrong with his knee, he just got a little bruise on it - so he played a couple minutes because I wanted to get him in the game.

Same thing with Danny (Dixon). Danny (Dixon) has a little bruise on his foot. So you’re right, it will be a little different when we have different guys playing but the guys who were playing, I thought they played great. Max (Farthing) and Chase (Graham), I’m happy for those guys. You come walk on and the first time you play in PNC and you get a lot of minutes and you score a basket. That’s pretty cool.

On Jericole Hellems...
I just wanted to make sure he was okay. Coming into this game, he had bumped his shoulder against somebody. If anyone were to sneeze wrong, I wasn’t going to let him play in the game. He just pumped his shoulder, and I think he is going to be fine. 

On Dereon Seabron...
Seabron turned his ankle three days ago in practice, pretty bad. X-rays were negative, and he should be fine. I don’t have a time table for how long he will be out.

On the possibility of C.J. Bryce playing point guard...
Yeah, I can see him playing some point guard. I have two or three guys I feel comfortable when Markell not in the game, C.J. being one of them. Braxton Beverly has done it in some bigger wins. I think Seabron can also fill that role.

What’s funny about C.J. is he’s a smart kid, and he knows the guys that have played that position have led us in scoring for a few years. He came to me the other day and asked if he could play the four guard. In recruiting him, if I had told him he would play the four, he never would have played for me.

He is smart enough to know that Torin Dorn’s position got a lot of shots, and he wanted to fill the role. I think I can play him 1-4. We played him a lot tonight because we wanted to see how he handles the basketball.

On Markell Johnson’s performance...
He was locked in today and that is great to see. I have said when Markell plays 40 minutes, he is one of the best guards in the country, but he needs to stay consistent. He has accepted a different role as a leader this year, and we are hoping to get that every game this year.

On Markell being a vocal leader...
He is vocal off the court. You should hear him in the locker room sometimes. Our generation is a little bit different. When I came up, we were very vocal, and I didn't always know what I was saying, but I was always vocal. We have asked all the veterans to step up and be more vocal. 

On changes in preparation with season opener being against a conference opponent...
No, it doesn't change it because we have to prepare for whoever we play. Opening with an ACC game is tough. I accepted the game because everyone in our conference is doing it.

I am excited about the game because it gets to launch the ACC Network for basketball. It is a tough game. I don't think you will get any coach in our league to be overjoyed about playing those openers. We all have to play the game so we are excited about it.

On the benefits of having a veteran backcourt...
It’s great. I was telling the coaches and Markell (Johnson), C.J. (Bryce), Braxton (Beverly) the other day. We were throwing the ball away every two minutes. When you are in college 

basketball, the best thing is to be old and stay old. I am excited to have veteran players at the guard position.

On the team’s lull over the last eight minutes of play...
It is something that you can go back and yell at them about, but when you are at a lull at eight minutes left and you have 113 points they will not listen to you. They will say ‘We have scored 113 points what do you want us to do?’ We had some different combinations that have never played before, and I didn’t think they played well together.