NC State basketball coach Kevin Keatts previews Duke
NC State basketball faces a crucial ACC showdown on Wednesday evening when No. 16 Duke travels to PNC Arena for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The game will be televised by the ACC Network.
However, very few in the sports world were thinking much about anything other than the health of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who suffered a cardiac arrest after making a tackle during the Monday Night Football showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals. Hamlin needed to be revived on the field and is in an intensive care unit at a Cincinnati hospital.
The incident brought back memories to when NC State basketball hosted South Carolina State in December of 2017. South Carolina State guard Ty Solomon suffered a heard attack while on the bench and needed CPR on the court to save his life. Kevin Keatts was in his first season as a head coach at NC State at the time.
During a press conference Tuesday to preview NC State’s game with Duke, Keatts recalled the memories of that game against South Carolina State. Keatts noted that he prayed on his knees when he saw what happened to Hamlin in the Monday night game.
Watch his comments on that plus more in the video below, courtesy The Wolfpacker’s YouTube channel.
Among other topics addressed by Keatts:
• A full preview of the Duke game, and how the length that the Blue Devils can throw out against NC State is unique. Keatts also noted the depth of Duke and went into details about subtle differences with new head coach Jon Scheyer in his first season since legendary Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski retired.
The Blue Devils come to Raleigh with an 11-3 overall record and a 2-1 mark in the ACC after routing Florida State in Durham, N.C., on Saturday. NC State and Duke will play twice this season, with the Pack going to Cameron Indoor Stadium to conclude the regular season on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
• His take on sophomore guard Terquavion Smith’s struggles in a loss last week at Clemson and Smith’s season overall.
• The continuing efforts to recover from the loss of super senior forward Dusan Mahorcic, who disclosed his knee in a win over Coppin State in December. Keatts noted that NC State never had to run a play for Mahorcic, who was a perfect complement to fellow post player and fifth-year senior D.J. Burns Jr.
Keatts explained why his hope is that junior post player Ebenezer Dowuona can eventually replace Mahorcic’s energy and effort on the court.
• His assessment of where things stand with his team overall, which sports an 11-4 record, including a 1-3 mark in the ACC.
