With each mounting loss, the importance of redshirt junior center Manny Bates and junior power forward Greg Gantt grows.
The 6-11 Bates suffered a season-ending left shoulder injury 57 seconds into the season opener against Bucknell on Nov. 9, which now seems like an eternity ago. Bates averaged 9.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game last year. He led the ACC in blocks and was 11th in the NCAA. He has 147 career blocks, which is fourth all-time at NC State.
The 6-8 Gantt first had a sports hernia injury the summer, and then injured his knee and is most likely redshirting this season. The two Fayetteville, N.C., natives were joined on the injured list by freshman post player Ernest Ross. Any hopes of a productive ACC slate went down with them.
NC State enters Tuesday’s game at Georgia Tech with six straight losses and a 10-16 overall mark and 3-12 in the ACC. The Wolfpack are living and dying with the three-point jumper, and the record shows which part is happening.
“Everyone has to lock in,” NCSU coach Kevin Keatts said. “Our roster is what our roster is. I feel bad for our kids because we lost Manny, Ernest Ross and we obviously didn’t have the opportunity for Greg Gantt to play.”
Keatts pointed out how a few injuries have derailed Florida State in the same manner. The Seminoles were sitting at 13-5 and 6-2 in the ACC on Jan. 22, but have now lost six-straight games. The Seminoles were down 62-24 at halftime in an eventual loss at North Carolina on Saturday.
“As a coach, we owe it to each individual kid that is on our team to give them everything, whether we lose one of our key players or not,” Keatts said. “My focus is to teach and love on our kids and try to get better. We can’t feel sorry for ourselves because nobody else will.
“We know we are undermanned going into most games. Our guys have completely fought in every game.”
Opposing centers routinely put up numbers against the undermanned Wolfpack, with Pittsburgh sophomore John Hugley the latest and maybe the one that created the most angst. NC State finished runner-up for the Cleveland, Ohio, native, and he reminded the program what they missed out on during Pittsburgh’s 71-69 victory Saturday. He had 21 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two blocks in the win. He drained 13 of 15 free-throws, which was the fourth time this season he attempted at least 10.
Keatts is doing what he’s supposed to be doing during trying times — keep things positive for the team. They have proven they can compete for about 35 minutes with just about any team, but have struggled down the stretch of games.
“When you win, everybody loves you and it is the best thing in the world,” Keatts said. “Sometimes when you are losing games, you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. Every coach is a competitor and every player is a competitor. A lot of times people are upset when you are losing. The coaches are the worst [at handling losses].”
Keatts has been leaning on his coaching friends as the losses continue to mount.
“I talk to certain colleagues around the country, winning or losing,” Keatts said. “I have a small group of guys that I communicate one way or the other and follow their scores and talk to some of those guys.”
Keatts said he’ll watch the replay of the game two-three times to figure out how to improve the team. The prep basketball culture has changed over the last 20 years where if a player loses a game, there is always another contest not that long after, making for short memories.
“The kids move on a lot quicker than we do,” Keatts said. “Coaches, it will take almost until our next practice before we have to realize we have to move on to the next game and prepare.”
The living and dying by the three-point shot leads to increased pressure on freshman wing Terquavion Smith, who thrives on that. However, he’s gone 5 of 28 from the field and 4 of 18 on three-pointers the last two games.
“He’s going to be judged a lot by how he scores the basketball,” Keatts said. “Whether you watch the game or not, you can pick up the stat sheet and be like, ‘He didn’t shoot it well or he had a great night.’
“I see a kid that is maturing right in front of our eyes. He is starting to pass the ball a lot and starting to understand concepts. He’s getting better defensively. On this particular team, we need him to score to have an opportunity to win games.”
Georgia Tech has also been struggling this season after losing center Moses Wright and point guard Jose Alvarado to professional basketball. The Yellow Jackets are 10-14 overall and 3-10 in the ACC. NC State will get a break against facing a low-post scoring center. Georgia Tech big man Rodney Howard, a Georgia transfer, is averaging 4.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
"On the offensive end, they are unique where even though they don't have great size, they can go small and run the Princeton offense," Keatts said.
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