NC State Basketball: Kevin Keatts Remains Hopeful After Losing at Duke
NC State basketball suffered its fifth straight loss and seventh across its past eight outings, returning to Raleigh with a 74-64 road defeat at the hands of the No. 2-ranked Duke Blue Devils (18-2, 10-0 ACC) in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Monday night.
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As things stand, with the third-worst record in conference play, the Wolfpack (9-11, 2-7 ACC) is not even on track to earn an invite to this year's 15-team ACC Tournament in Charlotte's Spectrum Center, March 11-15. Even so, following the failed upset attempt in Durham, eighth-year NC State basketball head coach Kevin Keatts once again expressed encouragement from his team's effort.
Here's what Keatts said in his opening statement to the media:
"I thought we had a lot of fight. It was a really good game. What we've talked about is we've been on the unfortunate side of a lot of wins and losses this year. But our guys, what I told them is, 'Hey, if you can stay consistent and play the way we played tonight’ — and Duke's good, I mean, Duke's a really good basketball team, arguably the No. 1 team in the country — I thought we did a really good job.
"In the first half, I thought we had great player and ball movement. I thought we really shared the basketball. We were able to get out in transition.
"I just thought they made a few more plays than we made. And obviously, [Duke basketball freshman forward Cooper Flagg] is as good as advertised. You know, I think he's the difference in the game. If I got Cooper Flagg, I might win that too, you know. But he's a good player.
"And I think [Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer has] done a good job of setting a really good group of guys around a really good superstar.
"So, you know, we'll learn from this. We'll try to get better. We'll continue to work. I think our guys understand that we're capable of anything if we continue just to stick together and grind and play good basketball."
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Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of NC State Wolfpack on SI, Duke Blue Devils on SI, and North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining NC State Wolfpack on SI in 2024, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.