The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1527657
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 ■ 33 BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN fter his team won five games in as many days to claim an ACC Tournament title and then four more to advance to the Final Four, NC State coach Kevin Ke- atts earned a two-year contract extension. But while the eighth-year head coach was rewarded for helping guide the Wolfpack to heights the program hadn't reached in more than 40 years, that doesn't mean his goals have changed for this season's squad. "I'm always going to be happy. I'm always going to be excited," Keatts said with a smile inside the NC State Dail Basketball Center. "I get an opportunity to work with a new group, and that's what really motivates me." Keatts was able to take a team full of former transfers to the pinnacle of col- lege basketball this past April. Eight play- ers have since departed from that squad, and the coach went back into the portal while also adding a trio of true freshmen to round out this season's roster. The biggest key to the picture is building chemistry. That's the stage Keatts and his staff focused on the most this offseason after they watched how a tight-knit team can come together in a rough stretch — losing four in a row to close the regular season — and turn that into a positive result. "The one thing we're not trying to do is force chemistry, but we want to develop chemistry," Keatts said. "The group last year, that bond was so tight. We got toward the end of the year, and we were prepared for March. … I want this group to get closer together than they are right now." Backcourt NC State's guard contingent has al- ways been deep during Keatts' tenure in Raleigh. This season is no different. The Wolfpack boasts five new faces in its backcourt, bolstering a position group that returned key contributors in graduate Michael O'Connell and se- nior Jayden Taylor on the perimeter. NC State brought in senior Bowling Green transfer Marcus Hill and redshirt junior Louisville transfer Mike James as expe- rienced, plug-and-play guards. Freshmen Bryce Heard, Trey Parker and Paul McNeil will all push for playing time this season. McNeil was the No. 53 player in the 2024 class, per the On3 Industry Ranking, while Parker was just inside the top 150 at No. 141 and Heard reclassified up a year to enroll early, checking in at No. 122 in his new class. "I love what they bring to the table," Keatts said. "None of those guys act like freshmen. They all believe that they can play. … Those three guys will com- pete for playing time. It's not like we're bringing them in as freshmen, thinking A Guard Dennis Parker Jr. started 12 games for the Wolfpack as a true freshman and returns to a backcourt that has been bolstered by the addition of five new players. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS BACK TO WORK After Savoring Its Euphoric 2024 Postseason Run, NC State Turns The Page