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It seems that members of the national media may be catching on to the whole Kevin-Keatts-is-a-winner thing. NC State will look practically brand new from a roster standpoint, but College Basketball Talk trusts Keatts to put a good team on the floor.
I think they’re gonna be right. State is No. 24 in their preseason poll:
Kevin Keatts is going to miss Yurtseven, because he doesn’t have any size on his roster anymore. He does, however, have half-a-million guards on his roster, and all of them can play. That’s enough for me to bet on Keatts getting it done.
One way to combat a size problem is to force more turnovers, ending possessions before an opponent can utilize a size advantage on the glass. And fortunately, Keatts’ style of play is suited well for that.
NC State did a nice job forcing turnovers last season (57th in defensive turnover rate) but I’ll be curious to see how much more disruptive the Wolfpack can be in Keatts’ second season. Not that I’m expecting them to turn into West Virginia overnight, but creating a bit more havoc would be a significant bonus.