9/28/2021 basketball Edit

Manny Bates is happy to be with Wolfpack basketball

Matt Carter • TheWolfpackCentral

Editor

Anyone on the State of Basketball message board on The Wolfpacker read about the rumors this past summer. They were flying on Twitter and other social media platforms, too.

The chatter that NC State redshirt junior center Manny Bates was leaving via the transfer portal.

Even head coach Kevin Keatts confesses to hearing about it.

It’s part of the new reality in today’s college basketball world. Very few, if any, programs are immune from roster turnover during the offseason.

“I think in today’s time … there’s always an opportunity for a kid to leave your program with the new transfer portal,” Keatts noted. “I think every kid, along with every coaching staff, should evaluate their players and then players have to figure out if this is the right place to get you to where you need to be.”

And Bates, the 6-foot-11, 230-pounder from Fayetteville, N.C., admits that the “threat was real” that he could have left.

But both player and coach were in agreement that the speculation during what has become known as the sport’s “silly season” went perhaps too far.

NC State Wolfpack basketball center Manny Bates — Bates averaged 9.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots per game last year. (Ethan Hyman/News & Observer)

“I will say this, I think most people, I don’t know how it came out, I think a lot of people jumped the gun and assumed Manny Bates was leaving, which I didn’t,” Keatts said. “I felt comfortable about it. Manny and I have always had a tremendous relationship. His mom and I have had a tremendous relationship. There was never one point where I felt like, ‘Hey Manny is going to go anywhere.'

“Of course when someone starts saying it a lot and you start listening, you say, ‘Oh man, is there something there?’ But from our standpoint we prepared for him to be here, and we’re excited that he’s back.”

“I did have some thoughts about leaving, but the extent of me actually making that move, it didn’t go too far,” Bates added. “I really just had to talk with coach, like a real one-on-one about just my thoughts and my feelings, and we talked it over. Literally there was nothing more than that. It was just me acknowledging my feelings and my thoughts I like about the team and then we took some time, I want to say it was like three or four days.

“I just had me and my mom just talking about it, and then I came to the realization that this is where I want to be. I love this team, the guys coming in … It didn’t take any other steps forward than just me talking to coach about it.”

Bates added that he determined his relationship with the coaching staff at NC State probably could not be replicated elsewhere.

“So why leave?” Bates asked.

Keatts was certainly happy that Bates came to that conclusion. The coach believes Bates is an All-ACC caliber talent and is making significant strides in expanding his offensive repertoire.

Bates improved his scoring average from 5.1 points a game as a rookie to 9.8 last season and he went from a 48.6 percent free throw shooter to 68.6 percent.

“He’s a good player, he’s gotten better,” Keatts noted. “He’s gotten better from the day he walked in here to right now. ... Obviously when he was here he was more of a defensive player coming in the door, and I think you guys saw some glimpses of how good he can be offensively.

“He’s worked extremely hard in the offseason to change his body, increase his range. We stepped him out to 18 feet to make some shots, but he’s also shooting threes now.

“I like the direction he’s going. He’s a leader. He will be one of the leaders on our team, and we’re expecting a big year from him.”

Bates confirmed the emphasis he placed on his offensive game in the offseason, and he added that, “my confidence is at a higher level.”

He also feels he is not alone in that regard.

“This team has grown tremendously, and we’re all close,” Bates said. “It’s a great group of guys. I love this team so much.”