Kevin Keatts: Pack Needs Practice Time To Build Back Chemistry
NC State head coach Kevin Keatts fielded questions from the media on the weekly ACC Teleconference.
Opening Statement:
Yeah, we've had a very rough week. We played two really good teams, and unfortunately they were at home. When you go back to both of those games, I thought one of the things that stood out with us is that because of we've had so many guys out and not being able to practice, we're not clicking on the same cylinder with all of our guys... just getting everybody back.
It's good to have everybody back now, but we haven't had a lot of practice time where I thought we could get everybody on the floor together to be able to get some chemistry. That's something that we're continuing to work on here in the next couple of days before we go to play Miami on Wednesday.
We played against a very good Louisville team. I thought we had some moments and thought we played well in some areas in some moments, but in the end, I thought they did a good job of closing the game out and unfortunately they came away with a good win against us at home.
Have you decided to practice today or are you giving them the day off?
You know me. A lot of times what you say on Saturday doesn't actually turn out to be what happens on a Monday, but we'll practice today.
As we talked about it with our staff, one of the biggest things that we're trying to get back to is getting good chemistry with everybody back on the floor. Obviously, I know we need some rest in a lot of areas, but the other thing is I need my guys to be able to play a little bit more together and practice. With having CJ back healthy and finally Manny back in, the biggest thing for us is just trying to get in the gym where we can get some guys playing together.
We won't go long. One of the things I want to do is try to do a lot of this stuff with film. We'll sit back and watch some of the things we have to get better as we played in the Louisville game, but we also now have to turn our attention to trying to learn a little bit about Mami with that game on Wednesday.
I do plan on practicing, but I don't plan on being on the floor for a long amount of time.
WIth where things are, do you feel like a higher sense of urgency right now?
It's so much with our league this year, the highs and lows. When you look at it, a couple of weeks ago we were on a three-game winning streak with a great win at a good Virginia on the road. This is our league... when you look at our league, it's probably four or five teams right in the same situation as us.
Every game in this league is important whether we'd won three or lost three, so we're energized and excited about the games coming up, and our next game is our always our most important game.
Your team wants to be the most conditioned team in the ACC, if not the country. How frustrating has it been to not be able to close out these games, particularly against UNC and Louisville?
I don’t know if the right word is frustrating.
I think as a coach you have to understand who you are and at what time you're playing well and not. Our biggest issue is, and I know I've said this a long time, we haven't been able to put everybody on the floor to be able to play the way we play.
Most teams can probably play with seven or eight guys at times, but because we love to press and try to get after it and run and transition, it’s really hurt us just by some of these injuries, and they are a part of the game.
It’s been unfortunate, but it’s been the hand we’ve been dealt. We’re not going to make excuses about it, we’re going to try and get better. The biggest thing I wish for is we stay healthy, and I can finally get the team we thought we’d have and have those guys play the next nine regular season games and into the tournament.
That alone would allow us to be able to play the type of basketball that we would love to play.
What can you take away from the first Miami game to be successful in this one?
I don't think any game is very similar. I know that sounds crazy, but when you play a team and it's been over a month or so, I don't know that you can take anything away from it.
I've already watched the tape, and I'm sure Miami's staff has watched the tape just to see if both of us are doing some of the same things offensively and defensively, but typically these games are a little different. The only game that I could say you could expect some of the same things was their Clemson game because there was like a week and a half between.
They're different. They're battling some of the same issues that we've had with Chris Lykes and McGusty, neither one of those guys have played the last game. Trying to prepare for both of those guys to play as they would with our guys’ situation... the toughest thing because you just don't know who's going to be able to play in that game on Wednesday.
What is the challenge or the advantage when you play a team twice in a 10, 12, 14-day window?
I think there are some advantages because the team doesn't change much.
It’s the games that you wonder about when you play a team a month prior and then you have them later on because things change. Coaches add offenses, they do different things on defense. You have injuries, you have certain things that will change on both ends, for our team and their team.
What happens if you're playing them within two weeks? There's not a lot of change. You don't have a lot of change, there's not a lot of time to make changes. You don't have a lot of time off, so actually it makes it a little easier to be able to understand what a team is trying to accomplish on both ends of the floor.
When you play somebody for the second time, and it's been awhile, you look at them and things change. There's some great coaches in this league, and everybody is always making some adjustments. That's your biggest challenge to try and figure out, and then you add in there may be some short prep for a team. Certain guys may play different when you have a short prep, or you may see a different offense or different defense in that short amount of time.