Keatts Discusses Bahamas Trip, Upcoming Season, and More
NC State head coach Kevin Keatts met with the media Friday afternoon ahead of the Wolfpack's first practice heading into the 2022-23 season.
NOTE: Click the video in the player above to watch Keatts’ press conference.
On the preseason trip to the Bahamas…
We have so many different new players and new assistant coaches. It was a really, really rewarding trip for us for a lot of different reasons. I know a lot of the times, when you take a trip, people concentrate a lot on the basketball part of it, but for us, it was really about each other. My coaches get the chance to see me, and I’m taking feedback from those guys as we go through the games, and our guys learn from each other. When you look at who we have, we have so many guys that transferred in. The three guys that played the most last year were Terquavion [Smith], Casey [Morsell], and Ebe [Dowuona]. Everybody else, even the ones who are returning, are new. Having the chance to find out a little bit more about each other and understanding how we want to play, it was good for us because we were able to get 10 practices in, and I think that was important, especially with a new team. I vote to take these trips every year. If anybody else is part of the NCAA, that’ll be a good thing, especially with the way transfers go now. You don’t know what your roster is going to look like from year to year. I think it was good for us to get a little advantage in learning each other.
On Jack Clark’s role…
Jack did a great job in the Bahamas. It’s the new breed of forward. Jack will play some small forward for us, but I guess you could say ‘small ball,’ but he’s not really small because he’s six-eight. We will play him some at power forward. I like him as a Torin Dorn type of guy but a little bit better shooter. Torin Dorn was really special for us my first year because he could drive it, he could shoot it, and he could guard multiple positions. We’ll use Jack in that way.
On Smith becoming a leader…
He’s done a good job. He always brings the most energy to our team, and he’s still that way. That’s what I love about him. One of the reasons he wanted to come back to school — obviously, he wanted to play his way to a higher pick next year — but he loves school. He loves his teammates. He loves it. If you’ve ever seen him at the football games, he’s jumping up and down. He loves the tailgating. He loves everything about NC State. His leadership is because he cares about everybody that’s around him. He’s done a great job of embracing that. He’s done a great job as the guy who’s the leading scorer returning, embracing the new guys that are coming in also.
On other players also leading the team…
If you made me pick a guy who’s going to be a leader this year, I’d say it’s probably going to be Jarkel Joiner. I think Terquavion will lead in several different ways as he plays, and he’ll certainly have a voice, but if you made me pick a guy right now, I’d say it’d probably be Jarkel. He’s older. He’s the point guard on the team. He’s been through it a little bit, and I think he’s stepped up so far. It’s hard for transfers to come into any program because they’re still trying to figure their way out and if they can or can’t say this or that. He’s one of those guys who’s found his niche, and people listen to him.
On the chemistry between Smith and Joiner...
It’s good. I haven’t played them together a lot because they’re both so competitive, so I kind of want them on the other team so they both can lift the other team up. The times they’ve played together in the Bahamas when they were on the floor together, they seemed to work well. We’ve got enough shots in this program to go around, so I don’t think there’s ever going to be an issue.
On if Keatts sees Morsell and Breon Pass playing different roles and different positions...
Yeah, you’ll see Casey Morsell play some shooting guard and small forward. I think you’ll see Breon as a point at times and off the ball at times. I look at Casey as a guy that could possibly be one of the top defenders in our league. He’s strong. He’s physical. He’s also shooting the ball very well. We saw a little bit of what Breon Pass could do last year, and I think you’ll see more of him because he’ll have opportunities. You’ll see, at times, with Terquavion and times with Jarkel on the floor, even with Casey.
On how tough the 2021-22 season was for Keatts...
You know I’m a competitor. I think every coach in the country pours his energy, time, and effort into the job that they do. You certainly want to be rewarded at the end. For me, it was tough. I would be lying to you if I didn’t tell you it was one of the toughest seasons, if not the toughest season, that I’ve ever been through in basketball. It was a very humbling season for me. As a head coach here at NC State, no matter what the situation was, I take full responsibility of the season that we had, and it’s my job to go out and correct it. I think we’ve done some great things and identified some of the issues that we had last year, and we’ve done it through recruiting and bringing the right guys in.
On if the changes for the upcoming season energizes him...
I’m energized all the time. I’m just as excited about this year as I was going into last year, and I don’t need a losing season to get me that way, but it certainly helps. I wouldn’t lie about that part of it. I’m as focused [as ever]. My attitude’s been great. I’m pushing. I’ve got great people around me that I listen to, that are helping. A lot of times, when you go through a season like that, you want to turn your back and look at just you. I try to surround myself with some players and coaches that want to help us get back on the right track, and I think that’s important.
On how the new assistant coaches are doing...
They’re doing great. All three of those guys are fabulous. I wanted to go out and get three guys with tremendous energy and also guys that I felt wouldn’t be here long. I know people don’t want to hear that, but in order to get a great staff, you want guys who can be head coaches. When you look at when I first started, I had A.W. Hamilton and Takayo Siddle, and both of those guys are really doing good jobs as Division I head coaches. I love our staff. I love our chemistry. They’re working well together. They’re bringing tremendous ideas to the table. That’s nothing against our old staff. I thought our old staff did some really good things also, but it’s good to have some different ideas as we go through this process.
On if it feels like a fresh start with the NCAA investigation concluded...
That’s a great question. This is the first year that we’re going into a year without having that over our head. I know it’s weird because a lot of people look at it that we didn’t get hit with postseason play; they kind of figured that it didn’t matter to us or it didn’t hurt our program. For five years, it’s been a really tough struggle. I feel for those who are still going through it. We’re blessed that we’ve moved past it other than the last thing we have which is a scholarship reduction. It’s good not to have [the investigation]. That bothered us. That hurt us through recruiting over the years, and a lot of it was negative recruiting. Now, people don’t have that, and we can certainly move on without that hanging over our head. It was a big cloud.
On Greg Gantt and Ernest Ross’ health status...
Both are full-fledged going. Both are full-fledged practicing. Both are healthy right now. Both guys are doing great. I wouldn’t say that they’re in great shape right now, but both guys have been in practice full-time, and both are doing good jobs.
On if the questions regarding the frontcourt have been answered...
We went out and got veteran guys. If you look at the stats, D.J. Burns’ stats are incredible for 20 minutes of play, to average 15 points a game and to be Player of the Year in the Big South. Dusan Mahorcic has been around for a long time, and he’s done a great job at every stop, and he’s a really good basketball player. Let’s not forget the experience Ebe Dowuona was able to get last year by playing and being thrown into the fire. Both he and Jaylon Gibson were guys who I didn’t think were going to be able to touch the floor until their junior year, and then all of a sudden they had to play. You add Ernest and Greg, and there were a lot of pieces that we did not have. I like the fact that we have great competition. My teams have always done well when we have 10, 11, or 12 guys, the practices are so good, and they’re so competitive where the games become a little bit easier.
On his goal for Burns’ playing time this season...
I told him, if he gets in great shape, he’ll play 40 minutes a game. He should be excited about that. No, he’s working extremely hard. I don’t have the stats in front of me, but he may have been the most efficient post player, maybe even [overall] player, in college basketball last year. He’s working hard to get in great shape, and great shape is different for everybody. It comes down to what’s great shape for him, and he’s certainly effective. One of the things that I’ve learned over the last month or so is that he’s a very underrated passer, too. He’s a willing passer. He can score the ball, but he’s willing to make the right play.
On the bigs working with Levi Watkins...
I think it’s good. Levi can get out there and mix it up a little bit. I’m not saying he’s in Levi Watkins shape from back in the day, but he’ll give them a good, hard two minutes and get out there a little bit. These guys are different; they’re bigger, stronger, faster, and everything else. I’m so excited to have Levi on our staff, to get a former player who’s been through it and who’s won. Then you also look at [Kareem Richardson’s] track record of being a head coach, and Joel [Justus] has come from great programs. Those guys are going to bring a lot to our program.
On whether recruiting high schoolers or transfers is more intense nowadays...
Everything. Whatever you covered in the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth years, scratch it. It’s different. When you talk about transfers, immediate eligibility, and NIL, recruitment has completely changed from what it used to be. All of them become a challenge. It’s 365-day [year], seven days a week that I’m recruiting. I don’t say that because I’m disappointed about it. You have to adjust to whatever the environment is at the time. I’m certainly a guy who loves to recruit anyway. We’ve had to make adjustments to everything.
On how difficult it was filling his 12 scholarships...
Not difficult. I [filled] 12. I needed 14. I wanted 15 or 16. One of the things people don’t understand over the last couple of years is that, when you’re down a scholarship — everyone says, “It’s just a scholarship. It doesn’t mean anything.” — that’s not right. You’re down a scholarship, and then you get a couple of guys injured. We went through this thing called Covid, and some guys were out for a little bit. All of a sudden, you’ve got 12, then you may be down to eight or nine scholarship guys, and it’s hard to practice. It’s hard to compete. At one point last year, I became one of the best four-on-four guys in the country trying to practice with some guys. That was another thing I’d never had to do in my life because we’d have more players than less. It was the first time I was faced with that. If I could get as many guys as we can in an NC State unfiorm to practice, I think it helps. When it got down to those eight or nine guys in practice, you were trying how to figure out how not to wear them down, so you really couldn’t get good chemistry because you couldn’t go as hard as you wanted to.
On how talented his walk-ons are...
I’ve got one parent that’s just crushing me, and her name is Georgette. She’s crushing me. I’ll tell you one thing: it’s hard. [K.J. Keatts] and I have a tremendous relationship, and my wife and I are strong in 22 years of marriage, but this is the first time where she’s got a chance to be a parent, and she’s going to talk trash to me about her son which is different. I don’t know what she’s going to say if I yell at K.J. and he comes home and say, “Daddy just yelled at me” — he may say “Coach.” It’s different. I’m having fun. I’m excited just having my son around me, and being able to see him everyday, that means a lot. I’m excited that he’s with us. We had a choice as a family whether he was going to come to NC State and be a part of our team or whether we’re going to send him to prep school. He missed his first year with a torn labrum, and then he went through the Covid years. The decision was that it was really on him, and he loved our team and loved being around our team, so we decided to get there. Our walk-ons are going to help. I know I can’t get rid of one of them.
On reflecting on what’s within his control and what he can improve on...
You know what I did? After a while — I’m tougher on myself than anybody — I go back on the season and spend two or three weeks and listen to everything, think back, replay, and watch a lot of film. After I got to that stage, I decided, “You know what? I’m going to turn the page. I’m going to go out there and recruit as hard as I can. I’m going to address the needs that I think we need to have.” Manny [Bates] was a tough loss for us because we thought we were going to have a veteran guy. Then we never thought that we wouldn’t have Greg Gantt, and then Ernest Ross went through his deal. All of that being said, are there things that I could have done better from a coaching standpoint? Possibly, but I didn’t think we had the pieces, and a lot of times, we were trying to survive and stay in a lot of those games just because we didn't. At the end of the day, I hope and trust my instincts, and my instincts were to go out and fix some of those issues. Nobody takes the blame more than me. No matter how it looks, I take it on the chin, and I don’t try to put it on anybody. I thought the kids were fabulous. They gave me everything they could ever give, and it’s up to me to fix it. It was the first ever losing season in my career. That was tough. I didn’t like it, so I had to make some adjustments.
On the bigger picture regarding ever-changing rules in college basketball...
I probably speak for a lot of coaches, but if you can’t adapt to what’s going on right now, it’s probably time for you to look at a different career because it’s completely changed. The way you guys have to cover has changed. It’s completely different. We have 28 visits in two years. With the ability to bring young kids on a visit and with the ability for so many guys to transfer, I wish we would go to [the NCAA] and say, “Hey, there should be unlimited visits to use how we may.” Another thing I’d love to see at some point is that three assistant coaches and I could go and recruit. I wish we could get to the point where you’ve got a staff where you can send anybody out that you want to. I think we’ll get to some of thoe rules at this point. I don’t know if we’re there right now, but it becomes a challenge because you have to figure out who you bring in and if you have a chance to get those guys right away or if you’re wasting visits doing those things. It’s a good mixture, and we have a unique place here. I love NC State, but we also have to find guys who fit what we’re trying to do and fit the culture of the school. It’s a complete balancing out.
On when the visitation rules were implemented...
I don’t know if it was created before the juniors [in high school could receive visits], but it was definitely created before guys could transfer and not play right away.
On the changes he had to make within himself...
If we would’ve won every game we played last year, I would’ve done the same thing. When you lose, you go back and look at a little bit more. I don’t think I could point to one thing, but there were a lot of things where I said, “Hey, you know what? Maybe I could have done this. Maybe I could have brought a little more energy.” I’m an energy guy, so for me to say that, that’s tough. At the end of the day, I don’t think it’s any one thing. My job as the CEO of NC State basketball is to look at the entire program and see where I can help make sure our kids are in the best situation that they can be in. One of the biggest things is identifying and getting more players and having more depth at each position.
On if any of those pertained to his coaching tactics...
Coaches are creatures of habit. Could I have switched defense? Could I have run another play? 100 percent, but we’re creatures of habit. We can get better at what our system is, and obviously, I always go back to our system and say, “Can I figure out how to make our system better or tweak it a little bit?”
On the biggest takeaways from the Bahamas trip...
I learned that our veteran guys can help us. I’ve said this a long time: in the ACC — I got caught with it last year — it’s really hard to win with a lot of freshmen and sophomores. When you look back at last year’s team, all of our guards were freshmen and sophomores. It was good because we’ve been able to accelerate a lot of the stuff we’d do because we have some older guys who’ve been in college, been away from home, and have been coached by some really good coaches. We had three of the four because Dusan didn’t make the trip, but it was great seeing those guys and where they can bring value. Last year, we really struggled because of our young posts, and there was so much pressure on Terquavion Smith and Dereon Smith to be able to score from outside because we couldn’t get the easy baskets because our bigs were so young and inexperienced. Now, when you go to practice, you can throw the ball in, and those guys can make plays. They can make plays for themselves, or they can find other guys. That gives us an added dimension that we didn’t have. To go back to the original question, having the veterans mix in with the young guys and seeing our guys having fun were the biggest things for me.
On getting rid of the rust on L.J. Thomas...
I think L.J. is going to be fine. Even though he didn’t play last year, he was one of those guys who worked out all the time. He’s like every freshman: he’s a sponge. He’s picking up on stuff. He’s getting better in a lot of areas. He’s another guy that I like, that can play multiple positions. We’ll see him play some one and two this year.
On his outlook on the Wolfpack’s defense...
It was different [last year]. We had the leading shot blocker in the country that we thought was coming back, so our philosophy on how we tried to guard the ball was a little bit different because, in the past, we could really pressure, and even when we flushed guards to the hole, Manny was back there to clean it up. I think we’re going to play 100 percent zone this year. I’ve been looking at a lot of tape of Syracuse, and if you're going to play a zone, Coach [Jim] Boeheim’s got a tremendous zone, so I think I’m going to play a lot of zone this year. Write that down. You don’t believe me, but write that down. I’m not saying that our zone is going to be as good as theirs, but...
On projecting the ACC...
I’m not good at it this year. I need rosters. When I go to ACC Media Day, I hope each team brings two guys that I know so I can introduce myself. You don’t know. It’s not just the ACC; it’s everywhere, and that’s the norm. A lot of people will get mad when you say it’s going to be hard to get guys who start at a school as a freshman and actually graduate. It’s even harder at the Power Five level because they’re either going to be a pro, or they’re going to transfer if they don’t play a lot. It’s tough just to get a four-year guy. I may have had my last four-year guy with Jericole [Hellems]. I don’t know that. I hope that’s not the case, but there’s a big possibility that that will be the case.
On if NIL could change that outlook...
I think so. I think everybody’s situation’s different. Dereon Seabron’s situation is different than Terquavion’s. A lot comes down to whether a kid really loves academics and wants to be in school. We never really know what their family situation is or what pressure they have from back home. I think it’s different. It would be unfair to say because one guy may look at it differently than the other guy.