NC State head coach Kevin Keatts said his team has been able to continue practicing with limited availability despite having two games postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test and subsequent contact tracing.

The Wolfpack’s home contest against Georgia Tech that was originally scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 16 was postponed Thursday due to a symptomatic positive case of the virus that was discovered the morning after the 105-73 road loss to Florida State.

The Pack’s upcoming game at No. 18 Virginia that was scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 20 was later postponed Sunday due to a second positive test result that has caused five “tier one” members of the team to quarantine.

“We're trying to get on the court, it's been a challenge,” Keatts said. “We've been very limited. After we heard about our positive after Florida State, we were obviously going to practice because we had two days in between before Georgia Tech. We had to take a day off and then we got back in with a limited amount of guys to be able to get some shots up.

“I'm scheduled to go at some point today, but I'm still trying to figure out who can go and who cannot go. I think that's the biggest challenge. One of our biggest issues with the virus is the contact tracing piece. Then certainly, if somebody else turns positive, just trying to figure out who has to sit and who has to be able to play.”

Injuries have also played a factor in the Pack’s limited availability in practice over the past few days.

Redshirt sophomore center Manny Bates missed the Florida State loss last Wednesday due to an ankle injury. Senior guard Braxton Beverly is also dealing with a hurt ankle and has played limited minutes since being held out of the Wolfpack’s 74-70 road loss to Clemson in overtime on Tuesday, Jan. 5.

“Both of those guys are pretty banged up,” Keatts said. “Braxton's is because he's been playing for four years, and he's always played hurt. Obviously, he's a tough dude. It's hard for him to even sit out games, and he won't tell you. That's the problem. We have to pry it out of him with something wrong because he won't step up and say, 'Coach, I'm hurt.' He's just not built that way.

“I'm hopeful for both of those guys. I would say Braxton's a little bit more ahead than Manny. When we'll have both of those guys on the court, I don't know. Because we've missed the Georgia Tech game and now Virginia because of this, we have full intentions on trying to be ready to go on Saturday. But of course, a lot of that is going to come down to whatever happens with the contact tracing and the virus.”

The postponed meeting with Virginia that was scheduled for Wednesday is NC State’s third conference game and seventh overall contest this season that has been impacted by the virus.

To this point, none of the Wolfpack’s postponed conference games have been rescheduled.

Beginning next Saturday, the Pack is scheduled to play at least two games in five of the following six weeks between then and the scheduled start of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro on March 9.

“The unfortunate thing in certain situations is you may have to lose a game against somebody else to make up a game against somebody else,” Keatts said. "I'm confident that we will make the games up or try our best to make them up. In our situation, we've lost three really good conference games: Louisville, Georgia Tech and now Virginia. We want to play those games, and I think every coach in our league wants to be able to play those games.

“I think it would help everybody out if the tournament was pushed back, but I don't think any of us are in control of that.”

After two postponed games following a 32-point loss in Tallahassee, Keatts says his players have been understanding of the unique situation of playing through a pandemic.

The head coach offered that every pause around the country is different due to varying circumstances regarding practice time. Teams that have had to completely quarantine and go without practice have typically struggled, while other programs that have continued workouts despite not being able to play games due to protocol have been able to find success upon their returns.

“I've asked these guys to be ready to adapt,” Keatts said. “It's going to be different. We're all facing something that we've never seen before. Obviously, games are going to be played, they're going to be cancellations, there are going to be some makeup games.

“Right now, my main focus for them is obviously trying to get them prepared to be ready to go tomorrow because we start the second semester academically. We want to be ready whenever we get the opportunity to get back on the court, and whenever that presents itself, we'll be ready to play.”

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