NC State Basketball Ballin' During Important Bonding Weekend
Beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Oct. 25, the 2024-25 NC State basketball team will formally introduce itself to fans via Red-White intrasquad scrimmage action and a dunk contest as part of the annual Primetime with the Pack preseason event in Reynolds Coliseum. Five nights later, Kevin Keatts' eighth Wolfpack squad will host Division II Lees-McRae College for an exhibition bout in the Lenovo Center.
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And at 7 p.m. ET on Nov. 4, NC State tips off its regular season when USC Upstate comes to Raleigh.
Ahead of the preseason shows and regular season, Keatts took the Wolfpack to his old stomping grounds at UNCW for a team-bonding weekend. The NC State basketball social media team announced the trip via the following post on Friday afternoon:
Team bonding weekend. ✌️ See ya soon, Wilmington.
Posted by NC State Basketball on Friday, October 11, 2024
A few hours later, the following "Ballin' in Wilmington" photos surfaced from the Seahawks' Trask Coliseum in Wilmington, where Keatts (72-28 at UNCW) orchestrated three straight CAA regular season titles and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances before accepting the Wolfpack job in 2017.
Ballin’ in Wilmington.
Posted by NC State Basketball on Friday, October 11, 2024
On Saturday afternoon, the Wolfpack's official account shared more practice pictures:
On that weekend grind. 🔋
Posted by NC State Basketball on Saturday, October 12, 2024
With eight new scholarship players on the 2024-25 NC State basketball roster and only three rotation pieces returning from the unforgettable 2023-24 squad, preseason bonding time sure seems as critical as ever for the Wolfpack.
"You know, we have talked about competing every day," Keatts said while sharing the stage with senior guard Jayden Taylor and graduate guard Michael O'Connell at the ACC Tipoff in Charlotte on Wednesday afternoon. "These guys will tell you everything that we do has a consequence, and we have a lot of games that we play in our practice...
"One of the things that we want to do is we've got to build a winning culture."
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Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of NC State Wolfpack on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining NC State Wolfpack on SI in 2024, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.