NC State’s KJ Keatts excited to score first college points in ‘family moment’
There was a puddle of water near NC State junior guard KJ Keatts’ locker at Lenovo Center on Friday night. Moments before, Keatts was running around the Wolfpack’s changing area as the entire roster chased after him, looking to soak him as they were armed with water bottles.
The walk-on and son of coach Kevin Keatts scored his first-career bucket in his 18th appearance with the Wolfpack in an 84-61 win over William & Mary. NC State, which usually celebrates each win with a douse of water on a player that competed well, gave KJ Keatts that experience.
“I didn’t know how quick he was until he was running as water was being tossed on him,” Kevin Keatts quipped postgame.
Before KJ Keatts used an up-and-under to log his first 2 points of his collegiate career, the guard was 0-for-3 from the field with a pair of triples that misfired playing for his dad. Now, however, he has officially entered his name on NC State’s all-time scoring list.
The layup, which was something that Kevin Keatts joked he had no idea what KJ was doing, was a moment that the oldest son of the coach’s family has longed for throughout his childhood. He grew up around his dad’s teams, whether it was at Hargrave Military Academy, Louisville, UNCW or NC State, hoping to be a part of it one day.
And now he has.
“A long time coming, but it feels good to be out there with the guys celebrating me and seeing everybody smile and laugh,” KJ Keatts told TheWolfpacker.com postgame. “It was a fun time.”
KJ Keatts did it with his father on the bench and his mother, Georgette, courtside with a camera eager to capture the moment. By the time he returned to the locker room, KJ Keatts knew the family group chat was going to be “blowing up” with excitement following his first-career bucket.
“It was great,” KJ Keatts said. “It’s definitely a great family moment.”
While KJ Keatts was able to share his first-career points with his family and the home crowd in Raleigh, the Wolfpack players were just as excited to be a part of it. KJ Keatts and fellow walk-on Jordan Snell play an integral role in preparing the Pack as a part of the scout team, but they do not get much of the attention when the ball tips during a game.
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That seemed to resonate with NC State’s locker room postgame.
“That was amazing,” senior guard Jayden Taylor said. “KJ works hard every day. It was just fun to see him get a little bit of shine, a little bit of love today.”
For KJ Keatts, the layup will not only etch his name in the Wolfpack’s record books for the rest of time, but it will also stop him from being the target of scoreless jokes within the locker room and his friends off the court.
“I can get these guys to stop telling me I haven’t scored yet,” KJ Keatts said with a smile. “I’ve got all my friends telling me I haven’t scored yet, so it definitely feels good.”
Kevin Keatts, who enjoyed the Wolfpack’s run to the Final Four with KJ alongside for the ride, beamed postgame as he spoke about his son. In most of his postgame press conferences, the eighth-year coach is laid back, yet has a business-like approach.
But for a few minutes, he was just a proud father.
“He made a great play, so I was happy for KJ,” Kevin Keatts said. “Him and Jordan Snell, those guys really work hard behind the scenes and prepare us. Just to see the ball go in for him, I was very happy for him.”
