NC State
NC State head coach Kevin Keatts sees growth in win vs. Louisville
NC State picks up its first ACC win of the season and its third win in a row thanks to a strong second half in 76-64 win against Louisville.
Thanks man who was sitting Kenny was here right, who was that goodness gracious alright. Um I'm proud of my guys and here's why you know this is always the toughest game to play um that game right before christmas and you know, I wanted to keep them focus and it didn't matter who we were gonna play. Uh and it's it's tough because we played an sec team even though it's a team that didn't have haven't had a lot of early success. Um I'm gonna give kenya a lot of credit. His team is still playing hard even though they don't have a great record right now and believe it or not, they'll win a few games in the A. C. C. If they just continue to play hard and compete. I thought the difference in the game is second half, we came out with a lot more energy uh proud of the way we passed the ball when you look at it, we had 17 assists on 26 made field goals. Um You know we're really good I think I think we're undefeated this year when we have 11 or more assists in the game. Uh the great thing about it, we had five guys in double figures which I thought was really, really good, so I'm happy and our guys get a chance to go home for a couple of days and be able to hang out with family and that's important to me. So questions I would say a little, that's why I'm horse right now and I'm not horse for the game. No we just I didn't think we played hard enough in the first half and that's just not who we are, not this particular team. And so, you know, I had a few choice words and you know, we, we talked about it and I thought our energy level went up to another, you know, to another decimal in the second half and I got really got after it. What did he say? I said, did he say anything? That's good. My mom wouldn't be proud as a team. Only three baseballs tonight. Other than that, was there anything else you would like to see from? Which? No, I thought we, I thought we shared the ball, we didn't make some shots we would normally make. I didn't think to question john smith was to quash Ian smith today. But that being said, we got to find a way to win when our two leading scorers don't play great. But you know, obviously, you know, one of our bench guys now and D. J. Burns has become a starter. And so as we continue to go, we got to continue to develop someone else off the bench, Man, I'm trying to get him actually play 33, I'm trying to get him up to 40, Like if I can get that guy to play 40 minutes, you guys ought to give me a gift. No, and again, as big as he is and as skilled as he is offensively. Does it ever surprise you? I mean, I know you've seen it all off season and this year, but it spread your big guy like that can do. He's a gifted post guy scoring the ball that I've seen in a long time and you know, there's no traditional scenery anymore and for a guy that you can throw the ball inside it can get baskets, that means a lot. But, but he's talented, like if I can continue to help him get better defensively, I know that's a stretch, but we're gonna continue to work on it. He's really good. He's tough to stop down there. So they'll, they'll be off the 23rd, and then Christmas and then we'll get them back on the 26 and we'll practice and it's important. You know, I, I encourage everyone in this room, just like I told the players, there's some person or a bunch of people that made it possible for you guys to be where you're at right now. And when I told our guys when you go home, you know, the easy thing is to hang out with your friends or to hang out with a girlfriend, but go see someone, put a smile on someone's face, uh, you don't know what other people are going through. And so I encourage you guys the same thing. You know, if you get time over christmas, you know, make someone else smile. I think we forgot the true meaning of christmas and I know it's about great gifts. I know my wife's gonna get great gifts, but at the end of the day it's about family and so make it about family. Yeah. You know what? He's worked really hard to become a really good three point shooter and when he runs the floor and he gets out and we can advance the basketball, he's usually very efficient from there. But you know, you're talking about, I've got about four or five guys that I call workout warriors. He's one of those guys, he stays in the gym, he stays working on his game, He'll grab a manager when we can't work him out, but I'm proud of him because of the hard work that he's put in to get to this point. I just think, I just think he's getting comfortable and you know, I know, I know that sounds weird because he's been here for a couple of years, but he played in the system, a very good system that was completely different than the way we play. And so I think he's starting to realize how to play fast and to be able to score that way, how close, I don't know, chip, I knew you were gonna ask that, you know, I'm saying probably February four probably, I don't know, I'll be honest with you. Um, hopefully we'll see if he's ready on for the Clemson game. I would say maybe Clemson, maybe Duke and the toughest thing for him is right now is head spinning. We're throwing so much at him. This kid was in high school last week and so trying to figure out ball screen coverages, knowing plays getting in shape. Believe it or not, you guys will laugh when I tell you this. D. J. Burns is in butter shape in Isaiah right now. No, that won't last. But here, so I'm serious because Isaiah couldn't play 33 minutes tonight if he had that. That's why something that your players are talking about in the locker room after is that there's a different type of consistency from last year to this year that they're noticing whether it's working out practices, the way you are with them, the way they're playing. You noticed anything, I love all of my guys from last year, we just were so undermanned, we just didn't have it. But this group because of Bahamas because you know, they're, they hang together off the court, they become, you know, they were building a great culture inside of this group by itself and they're holding each other accountable and um, you know, they're friends off the court and certainly, I think that's paying off and wins purpose, watching them grow Well, I think that's, I think that's the key word grow. You know, we would have lost a week ago, we would have lost the Vanderbilt game because we couldn't finish the game okay. We grew, I thought we grew in that game And then obviously when we needed to have baskets, I thought we did a good job tonight. But that's because we trust one another and they're starting to trust each other. And it's really, it's really fun to watch when you got a bunch of guys that like each other and they feel like playing together. All right, merry christmas, everyone enjoy yourself. You look like understood.