NC State Wolfpack basketball head coach Kevin Keatts recorded his weekly radio show Monday morning with co-hosts Tony Haynes and Jeff Gravley.

Keatts reflected on the past week, which included a road loss against Saint Louis in the Pack’s first game back in two weeks and a home win against Campbell Saturday.

He also previewed the upcoming matchup with North Carolina on Tuesday night in PNC Arena, which will kick off ACC play for both teams and has been moved to 7 p.m. on ACC Network.

Here were the highlights from Keatts’ radio show:

On playing a replacement non-conference game against Saint Louis and the Campbell game with a short roster:

“It was very important that we played those games. We were sitting there with three games. Before we could even get into Christmas break, I wanted to play more games. I thought it was important, I'm glad we went on the road and played at Saint Louis. I thought that was important, that was a great experience for us.

“Then having the chance to play a local school in Campbell, playing here at home and actually getting a chance to play our first game at PNC. People take that for granted. We had played the three games we played at Reynolds Coliseum, but we have another venue which is a great venue. For our guys, we hadn't played there, so we wanted to get a game in there before we started conference play.”

On playing in an empty PNC Arena and the slow start against Campbell:

“It's very different. It's almost like playing a road game at your home because we obviously hadn't had a chance to get over there. We just started practicing there. It was an adjustment for our guys, I really think part of our slow start offensively against Campbell had a lot to do with the change of venue.

“I don't want to make excuses about it because we did end up winning the game, but I think we started off slow because it was a different venue. Obviously, you can add a lot of different things to it. Our guys had just played a Thursday game and were a little fatigued, we're only playing with nine guys. There was a lot of different stuff that could have factored into the slow start.”

Answering if there were any roster updates as of Monday:

“I don't. We should get more information hopefully tomorrow. I know that's weird on game day. We should get more information about who can play, who cannot play. I'm anticipating just playing with the same nine guys. If we're fortunate, maybe we'll get somebody back, but I'm not sure if that's going to happen.”

How exactly does the conversation with the medical people go when determining when a player can return?

“Well, it's a one-sided conversation. The conversation is how are we doing and how do we think the guy's progressing to get back on the court. When you deal with injuries, if you're dealing with COVID, you have the mandatory days that you have to be off. Then we do three legitimate blood tests, heart tests to make sure everything is right before we return them.

“After they pass a test and meet with the doctor and the doctor feels like everything's a go, then it's like returning from a concussion. You've got to be able to get in the gym and shoot by yourself a little bit without contact, getting in the weight room. We really concentrate on the conditioning, and we want our guys to be safe. They will not be returned until the doctor says that they're safe.”

On Manny Bates’ performance against Saint Louis:

“I was so impressed with him at that game because in those types of games, we need him to stay in the game. That's the most minutes that he's ever played because he stayed in the game. His stat line was tremendous. 20 points, seven rebounds and eight blocks. He showed you what he's capable of when he's able to stay on the floor.

“He's the type of kid that you want in your program. I'm not even talking about basketball-wise. He's a great kid. His mom, Katie, had done a tremendous job with him. She put him in a great situation where he has a very solid foundation as a person, academically, and then he's grown as a basketball player.

“He's changed his body. He's the type of guy that you want in your program that kind of gets better every year. That's where the hero stuff comes from. I envy him because I didn't have many block shots, and I know it's a great feeling. I want to know one time how it feels to block two shots in a game, he's getting eight. That's pretty good.”

On Jericole Hellems’ bounceback against Campbell after a disappointing homecoming at Saint Louis:

“He's such a competitor and an overthinker. One thing that we talked about is don't try to decide how your game is going to be before you get to the game. He's one of those guys that plays a game out before the game starts. Going back home, for him, even though there weren't any fans, they had a big newspaper article about him from high school. I think he put a lot of pressure on himself. I just said go into the game [without a score expectation].

“Guys like Manny Bates and Braxton Beverly never go into a game saying they're going to have 20 points. They go into a game, Braxton says I'm going to have eight assists, and then he ends up with 15 points and eight assists. Manny Bates says he's going to block shots, he ends up with 20, eight and seven. When you go into a game and you're thinking about how many points you're going to have, you typically don't reach that.”

On the challenge North Carolina’s size in the frontcourt poses for his team:

“They're huge. I looked at that and I'm saying to myself, if you look at what we have, we got one that's 6-10 compared to them. And that's a challenge. A couple of staples of what Carolina does, they do a good job of offensive rebounding, they do a good job getting out in transition. He's got a really good team, and it'll be a big challenge for us because of their size.”

On why rebounding is such a struggle against North Carolina:

“I think every program in every conference has something that they're really, really good at. When you look at us, you know that we're a pressing, turn you over team and that's how we play. We play fast. With them, they play fast and they're a rebounding team. You can tell, over the years, they've put a lot of emphasis on rebounding. It also helps when you got that many guys who are that size.”

On North Carolina forward Garrison Brooks:

“He was really good. Really, really good last year. Certainly, we can't allow him to be that good. He's tremendous. You talk about a preseason guy, he's an older guy, he's a senior. Last year as a junior, that's where you want the guys to progress to be really good players. We just simply have to do a better job of limiting his shots, and his second and third opportunities that he's gotten against us.”

On Shakeel Moore’s extra playing time over the past two games:

“He's matured and gotten better every game that we played. I want him to push the ball more in transition. At times, he's really one of two guys that can really get into the paint, to the backboard. Him and Devon Daniels. I want to get into the paint a little bit more. He's settled a little bit for a few three-point shots that I thought he could have passed up on, but he's going to be a really good basketball player.

“My two young guys who are freshmen in an NC State uniform when I talk about Cam Hayes and Shakeel Moore, those guys are very talented. They got a chance to be a heck of a backcourt in the future.”

On how NC State will try to speed Carolina’s young backcourt up into making mistakes:

“We got to try to win the battle in full-court meaning trying to pressure those guys. We want to stay out of half court because that's where they're so big and their size comes into play. We've got to do a good job. I think both teams will come in and try to play to their strengths, and that's what's important.”

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