Kevin Keatts will approach 2023-24 season differently with incoming transfers

The transfer portal forces coaches and staffs across the country to get creative in more ways than one. That includes NC State’s Kevin Keatts as he knows the acclimation of the Wolfpack’s incoming transfers is going to look much different this offseason than it did the last time around.

Keatts talked about the team building that’ll take place in Raleigh this summer in a press conference last month. He said that last season’s team got the benefit of a crucial trip to the Bahamas to play together. This year’s team won’t have that luxury. That’s why Keatts says they’re doing what they can at their home base to move things along in that aspect.

“That trip to the Bahamas was so valuable to us. We actually started summer school last week. And we can start our workouts. We started off Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of last week. And this morning was our third one of this week,” explained Keatts. “I’m going to do a little bit more different stuff. I’m going to try to play a little more three on three, four on four, and five on five in our workouts to develop chemistry.”

“Oone of the things that was so special about last year’s team is our chemistry was off the charts. Because of the Bahamas, because of the relationships that they’d had off the court. We want to try and develop that this year,” Keatts said. “We’re going to try a little bit different things. Try a little bit more outside basketball team bonding things where we can get out in the community a little bit. I always feel like if you can connect off the court? Then you’re going to be fine on the court.”

Last offseason, NC State brought in four transfers that all contributed for them in ’22-’23. Jarkel Joiner (17 ppg.), DJ Burns (12.5 ppg., 4.8 rpg.), Jack Clark (9 ppg.), and Dusan Mahorcic (8.7 ppg.) all finished in the top-six in minutes for the Wolfpack last season.

Now, this offseason, Keatts brings in a massive transfer class with seven additions overall. The group is highlighted by Kansas’ MJ Rice, North Carolina A&T’s Kam Woods, Butler’s Jayden Taylor, Arizona State’s DJ Horne, and Missouri’s Mohamed Diarra.

That kind of overhaul is going to take a lot of gelling, especially with Terquavion Smith off to the NBA. That’s why Keatts is pulling out all the stops over the course of the summer to have everyone accomodated and ready, as individuals and a team, by the time tipoff comes their way.