NC State HC Kevin Keatts Interview

Ahead of tomorrow night's game against Wake Forest, NC State basketball coach Kevin Keats, now our guest on WSJS. And Kevin, you had the great line on Sunday after beating Carolina where you said, It's not a rivalry, so why would I care? And even though I know you were joking, there is some truth to the way it seemed you've convinced your guys, and maybe even the fans, that Carolina was just another game on the schedule. Just like Duke, there wasn't a court storm.

As much as I'm sure you love your red blazer, you kept it on the closet shelf on Sunday. How important do you think it was, especially when it was close coming down the stretch, that you approached that game just like any other? Well, it's, you know, we approach, we take every ACC opponent really serious, and the game has changed. A few years ago there was the RPI, and now obviously it's become the net, and it does give away sometimes, and takes away from what you think is a rivalry or playing schools that's in the same league in close proximity.

Very important game. I don't want to take away the fact that we all are that close, and our fan bases are that close, and schools are really good, and all three programs are really good programs. But at the end of the day, one of the things that we've been able, and this particular team, is not so much talk about who we're playing, but what's attached to what they're playing with. And with us, we knew that we had a great opportunity, Josh, to be able to get a Quad II win, playing against a very good team coming into our place. And that's where we looked at it. I kind of joked at it, had fun with it.

I think they do too. It's more so a little funny thing than anything, but it's a really good program, and it was a really good win for us. Since you brought it up, you know what else is a Quad II win today, Kevin? Your Miami win. Even though they're 13th in the country, that's a Quad II win.

Yeah, how about that? That's tough, because no matter what, that should be a Quad I, and it's so tough because the numbers are so weird. Like at home, it's I-30, and on the road it's I-75 to get a Quad I win, and hopefully it changes.

And hopefully it goes back to a Quad I, it goes back and forth. You look at Miami, you would think how good they are, and the teams that they beat, that they would be a top 20 net team. But I don't think anybody can figure out what the net really is in, what's in the net, and how it's figured. Because you noticed it and noted it last year, Kevin Keats is with us here, and I think it's fitting with you guys playing Wake Forest tomorrow, that the Deacs won over 20 games, and they won 13 games in the ACC, yet were left out, and weren't even one of the first four teams left out. And tomorrow night, I was talking to Steve about it yesterday, Steve Forbes, that he doesn't have a Quad I win this year, even though he beat Duke at home, even though he beat Carolina at home, and won at Kohl Center at Wisconsin. So he's viewing tomorrow night as a must-win game, because these games that have for all time been great wins in the ACC, because of the net, have not been viewed as such. Is there a solution to the problem other than, hey, just win more games?

Well, I guess you got to win more games. It's really tough, because I understand a lot of the talking heads last year were able to say, well, hey, man, they lost the Big Ten Challenge. Well, we won the Big Ten Challenge this year, and it's just hard.

I mean, you know, we got a great league, and some of the venues that you have to go into and play, it's tough. You know, no matter what the team's record is, and in our league, we got Georgia Tech that can beat you surely at home. Louisville picks up a great role, I mean, great home win against Clemson. Florida State, Leonard, has built such a great tradition of winning at FSU. And then Notre Dame with Mike Bray, and crazy that some of those could be three, quad threes or quad four wins, when we know that, you know, these teams are really tough to beat there. And look at us last year, we wasn't, you know, we didn't have the greatest season. But, you know, the four teams that lost to us in the conference, they probably got dinged a lot.

And that just is tough when you're in a pile of five and we got 15 great teams, and it's just hard to figure out. Other than Josh, you know, winning more games, I don't know if there's anything you can do, but the other team has scholarship players also. Kevin Keats is with us here on WSJS. What do you marvel at as a coach about the job Steve Forbes has done, identifying guys in the portal like Alondis Williams and now Ty Appleby, and getting them up to speed so quickly? Oh, Steve's done a great job. I mean, he really has. You know, I think he's, you know, really identified some guys that really fit the way he wants to play, and it's kind of paid off for him in the last couple years. And, you know, I think he's done a really good job. And, you know, that's what the portal is about.

You know, the good thing about the portal, you're going to lose some really good players to the portal, in our case. But we were able to go out and identify some great needs that we had, and we found some kids that we felt like, you know, kind of fed our culture and our school and how we play. And, you know, you can get some really good players out there, and Steve's done a great job in doing that. It really is a great time to be at NC State. 24-25,000 showed up to watch the club hockey teams at Carolina and NC State play at Carter-Finley Stadium, the women's basketball team having success wrestling, and, of course, you guys winning on Sunday and being a really good team.

Saturday night, though, when the entire sports world is watching Carter-Finley Stadium and watching as David Thompson and Derek Wittenberg are introducing the Hurricanes out onto the ice, what is Kevin Keats doing? Oh, I'm actually out at dinner with a recruit. You know, and I can't, obviously, there's not a lot I can say about recruits and stuff until we sign them. But, you know, at that point I was, you know, trying to peek at the TV at the restaurant that I was at, but I'm out having dinner with the recruit and thinking about my big game the next day at 1 o'clock. Did you at least tell said recruit that, hey, I'm passing up a chance to be at something historic, to be sitting here with you right now?

I did not, because at that moment he's the most important thing that I would have going on right now, so I did not say that. I want him to know that he is the most important thing, but not to take away from that, I couldn't be there, but what a great event. It was an outstanding event.

You know, I saw pictures. I got text messages from the game, from people that were there, just the excitement. It was really, really fun. How special do you imagine tomorrow night's going to be? Whenever you talk about the history of college basketball, 1983, NC State's brought up, and it's the 40-year anniversary.

This is also the 30-year anniversary of the Jimmy V speech that's going to be recognized next month. What do you imagine tomorrow night's going to be like as the head coach of this program? Well, it's so special to me and so many folks, you know, and our dedicated fan base that's been around. You know, that 1983 team in its own created its own identity and how hard they fought, never really was given anything. Most times in most games they were the underdogs, and they found a way to win a national championship. And just for me and my players, just to have those guys around, you know, the next couple of days means a lot.

You know, we have completely embraced them. I had a chance to have at least four members of the 1983 team in Chicago when we played Vanderbilt. And they came in the locker room, and they just gave very passionate conversations and speech about their time at NC State and kind of inspired our guys. And so it means a lot to me. It means a lot to our players. It means a lot to our fan base.

It's a nine o'clock game. I hope that we get an incredible turnout, not just for us playing against an in-state ACC opponent, but also just the respect they give to the 83 team and honoring those guys. If Sunday's any indicator, I think you're going to get a big crowd.

Kevin Keats is with us here. And I asked you after the game, Kevin, about how the following had evolved, and you told us that you never complained about the fact that there wasn't great attendance early in the year, and it was a wait-and-see approach. But how satisfying is it now to see the following that your team has now taken on and how guys have taken or fans have fallen in love with players like DJ Burns and this group?

And in all likelihood, you're going to have a great following from here on out. Yeah, I looked at it earlier this year. It was a couple common things that's happened around the country. People are still getting over getting back into indoor sports because of what they went through with COVID. You can probably say, hey, we didn't have a great year last year.

We don't have from that. We got new faces and nobody that anyone can really identify with other than Taquavion Smith. And so I knew it was going to take some time, but give credit to the current players on this roster. Number one, the way that they've been able to close out and win games is so important. But also this this group has personality. They're on the Internet. They're a positive influence. They're DJ Burns is sending texts out trying to get everybody to the game. And I think, you know, it was no reason for me to get upset.

I've decided a couple of years ago that I would stay out of, you know, trying to be in marketing's business. And, you know, that's their job to get people there. My job is to win games and try to draw people by winning games. And everybody's got a job.

And we all do a great job of it. The fans will come back. And, you know, it's probably it was probably the loudest as I've ever heard in my tenure here at PNC. What about five minutes left in the game against UNC on Sunday?

And so obviously I give credit to what credit is due. And I think the hard work that some people behind the scenes have made some calls and have capitalized on the fact that our guys are winning. And I think the combination of them working the phones and the combination of our guys winning on the court has really changed things.

Kevin, let's close with this. Two weeks from today, right here in our backyard, the ACC tournament is going to return to Greensboro. And remind me, did you ever get a chance to coach in this tournament back in Louisville? You know, so many times I'm asked for that, I don't think so. I think we were, matter of fact, I would say this, my last year, I think my years were Big East and my last year was the year that Louisville was in the American for that last one year. So when I was a little bit, I don't think I did. You may go back and say, hold on, he's completely wrong. He did have one year of that, but I don't think so.

Well, I only ask you that to ask you this. 2020, it was the first time since 2015 that it had been here. And that was a less than normal tournament.

2021, there were maybe like 2,000 fans in the stands, friends and family that showed up in the building. This is the first time in eight years that this has felt normal, which means even though it's your sixth year at NC State, this is the first time that it's going to feel real. Like you're a head coach here in North Carolina at the ACC tournament in Greensboro. As a kid who grew up in Lynchburg, Virginia, what does that mean to you?

Well, that's a great point. I never really looked at it like that, but it means everything. I remember, you know, going, you know, I was younger when I was a coach at Hargrave. I remember going to the tournaments and just the excitement of it and, you know, just, you know, all day, three or four days of really good basketball and starting early in the morning, going all the way to the evening sessions, just a passionate fan base, how fun it is. And so I'm excited about it. I've always had a great respect for Greensboro and how they have done a tremendous job in hosting the ACC tournament and making everybody feel comfortable. Oh, I had this written down, too.

On the way out. See, I remember the first time you brought a team to Winston-Salem, everybody was excited in the building because Josh Howard was in the building and Josh Howard's name was up in the rafters. And everybody thought he was there because of Wake Forest. No, Kevin Keats was once the coach of Josh Howard at Hargrave. He was there to support you.

Our studio is in Kernersville. He went to Glenn, but he spent time at Hargrave. What's the best story you've got regarding Josh Howard? You know, I'll go back to Josh Howard. Josh Howard was, he was, I remember a story. I think it was Skip Prosser, the late Skip Prosser. I remember and I get confused between whether it was Skip or Dave Odom, but I remember they were a little concerned when he first got there because Josh wasn't the greatest practice player.

And so I remember getting the phone call. I can't remember if it was one of the head coaches or assistants. They're like, Kev, what's going on with this guy? He doesn't go hard in practice. You know, how good you think he can be? And I said, hey, just be patient. When the games start, you're going to see a different guy. And so I don't know what the numbers were, but he called. He had a great game.

And I got a phone call the next day and said, man, you were right. Josh Howard was a really special player when the lights came on. Josh Howard would deliver a lot of times in practice.

You would say, man, he would barely go up, make a layup and all that other stuff. But when the competition was on and like we say with these kids, when the popcorn started smelling in the arena, that guy was really good. He was a really good basketball player and did a great job for us. It's funny that team we had, him and David West.

And I'll tell you a funny story. Those guys wanted to go to school together. And I won't mention which schools didn't take them together. But look at the career that those two guys had. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. David West. He's he's a Garner guy, right?

Yes. The pride of Garner. David West.

A lot of great players in the hoop state. Kevin Keats, next time we visit, we'll talk exclusively about your football playing career you were telling us about after the UNC game. For now, we'll just say congrats on the success and we'll see you tomorrow night. Hey, man, thank you for having us on and see you tomorrow.