The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1318516
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 ■ 17 TRACKING THE PACK PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN "What we'll miss is we're one of the teams that has a great fan base. They're the best in the country whether we're playing in Reynolds or in PNC. We thrive off of getting a steal and a dunk, or a three-point shot, and just getting that eruption from the crowd. "That energy that you normally would get, that's not going to happen. It's not going to happen anywhere, even arenas that can have some fans, it won't be the same. We have to figure out how to create our own excitement." — NC State men's basketball head coach Kevin Keatts on be- ginning the 2020-21 season with no fans in attendance He's had nine-win seasons, but this one is the best. There's so much adversity, there's so many different things happening, yet he has pulled these guys to- gether. It's not the most talented team that he's ever had. It's just guys that go to work every single day. "A great example of that is [redshirt sophomore] Payton Wilson up front. He's a big line - backer that plays so hard. I would hate to play against him because we probably would fight every single play. He really is who I think about when I think about NC State, just hard-working guys that get the job done and give unbelievable effort. — ACC Network football analyst Eric Mac Lain on head coach Dave Doeren and the NC State football team on the 'Gramlich and Mac Lain Podcast' Nov. 23 PHOTO BY ETHAN HYMAN, THE NEWS & OBSERVER/COURTESY ACC MEDIA QUOTING THE PACK "People have doubted this football team all year. For us to now sit here with … two top-25 wins says a lot about them. I'm very proud of them. "Anytime we see adversity in our program, we look at it as an opportunity — an op- portunity to grow, an opportunity to prove people wrong. We carry a big chip on our shoulder." — NC State football head coach DAVE DOEREN following the Wolfpack's 15-14 win over Liberty, which was ranked No. 21 nationally at the time, Nov. 21