NC State Basketball: Kevin Keatts Reacts to Close Win Over Blue Hose
The NC State basketball performance against the visiting Presbyterian Blue Hose (1-2, 0-0 Big South) on Friday night, resulting in an 81-72 victory, wasn't as dominant as the Wolfpack's season debut in the Lenovo Center: a 97-66 win over the USC Upstate Spartans on Monday night.
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Even so, NC State (2-0, 0-0 ACC), with four players reaching double-digit points and led by a combined 35 from senior guard Jayden Taylor and senior forward Ben Middlebrooks, exhibited plenty of positive signs in the eyes of eighth-year Wolfpack head coach Kevin Keatts.
Here's what Keatts said about the effort in his opening statement to the media:
"Good win for us. Give Presbyterian a lot of credit, man. They were really scrappy. And we knew that coming in. [Quinton Ferrell] has done a really good job with his team — been there six years. I even went back last year and watched them go to Vanderbilt and win. So, they've done a good job.
"And when you look at it, man, I tell you what: [Presbyterian's Kory Mincy] was really good. We threw a little bit of everything at him. He scored in every way: 28 points.
"But I thought we did some really good things.
"This team right now, we're really passing the ball. You look at our assists, and it's pretty good. We had 18 tonight on 31 made field goals. We had 12 steals. And so, we're getting everything that we want out of it.
"We're gonna continue to build. I like where we're at in game No. 2. And I just want to keep building on it. But I thought we did some good things.
"You look at [Jayden Taylor], it was good for him to score the basketball. He had a career high in steals with five. But now, we gotta talk about his five turnovers. We'll have a conversation about that...
"I thought both [Brandon Huntley-Hatfield] and [Ben Middlebrooks] complemented each other. You look at it, and I didn't plan this out, but both of them were around 20 minutes in the game. And you look at 11 points [from Huntley-Hatfield] and 16 [from Middlebrooks]. I thought both of them were really good.
"One was good in the first half. And I thought Ben was good in the second half."
NC State will now get ready to host the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (1-0, 0-0 Sun Belt) at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday (ACC Network Extra).
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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.