RALEIGH – A new era in N.C. State Men’s Basketball began on Sunday as Kevin Keatts was introduced as the Wolfpack new Head Coach.
Coming off a three-year run in which he led UNC-Wilmington to a trio of Colonial Athletic Association regular season titles and pair of tournament championships, Keatts indoctrinated a combination of strategic principles and character philosophies to play by.
“We have a unique style. We’re up-tempo, running, we take a lot of threes, we pressure a lot,” Keatts said. “We were the only team to make (Virginia) play fast. It’s going to be an unbelievable system that everyone is going to love. Recruits love to play in it.
Being new to the staff, Keatts made sure it was clear he wasn’t unfamiliar with the program’s illustrious history.
To Keatts, creating a winning culture means placing an innovative product on the court, but also staying true to the program’s roots. Keatts watched the film “Survive and Advance” about NC State’s 1983 National Championship team to remind himself of what those are.
“When you talk about a group of guys that weren’t that talented, when you talk about a group that was so close, when you talk about a team that had a winning attitude, that’s what NC State basketball is about,” he said. “That’s what I want to bring back.”
With a 72-28 record at UNCW, a 2013 NCAA Championship ring with Louisville and 93.9 winning percentage at Hargrave Military Academy-one of the most prestigious prep schools in the nation-Keatts’ winning pedigree on paper speaks for itself.
