Basketball Season Tips Off With Prime Time With the Pack

Coach Kevin Keatts introduces his 2019-20 team to a large crowd of fans at Reynolds Coliseum

Brett Friedlander/SI Wolfpack Maven

The football season is only at its halfway point, but already the NC State basketball team is gearing up for another season. Anticipation is high with a team built around a core of returning veterans, a pair of graduate transfers and redshirt freshman big man Manny Bates, who missed all last season recovering from a shoulder injury. 

Coach Kevin Keatts' team and Wes Moore's highly-rated women's team are both making their first public appearances tonight at Reynolds Coliseum at its annual Prime Time with the Pack event. It should be a festive occasion with a large crowd filing into historic Reynolds Coliseum.

So check back here frequently for updates:

7:22 p.m. -- The doors have been open for about 20 minutes now and there's still a long line waiting to get into the arena. Dance team members are greeting fans as they enter the building handing out light sticks for what promises to be a spectacular light show when the players are introduced.

7:35 p.m. -- Among the honored guests with reserved seats at courtside tonight are newly-minted College Football Hall of Famer Torry Holt and two-time national champion wrestler Nick Gwiazdowski. I'm sure there will be many other familiar faces in the crowd as the evening heats up. The program is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.

7:44 p.m. — Let me take this opportunity to say how great a job the folks at State have done with the renovation of Reynolds. The place has been completely updated into a beautiful state-of-the-Art facility, but still has the feel and charm of the original building.

8 p.m. — The party has officially started...

8:05 p.m. — The women’s team is the first to be introduced, with Coach Wes Moore showing off some surprising dance moves before his players took to the dance floor, er, court to show off their rhythm.

8:20 p.m. — It’s the men’s turn to take the stage ... the highlight of the introductions was Kevin Keatts’ son Kaden, who did the dancing for his dad. Smart move. ...

As for Keatts’ players, let’s just say Wolfpack fans better hope they have better post moves than dance moves ...

8:40 — After Jerricole Hellems won the skills challenge, it was time for the slam dunk contest. Not sure why they picked two point guards to participate. It made for a dunk contest with more misses than hits.

Here’s the winning effort from freshman Dereon Seabron, who beat out Markell Johnson and Blake Harris for the title ....

9 p.m. -- The evening's events finished up with a 3-point shooting contest between the men and the women. Let's just say both of these teams shoot from the perimeter much better than they dunk, at least on this night. Braxton Beverly didn't win, but if he shoots like he did tonight Keatts might be growing a beard before the season is done.

Graduate transfer Pat Andree ended up winning the competition by hitting 16 3-pointers, edging out Aislinn Konig, who finished with 15.

9:15 p.m. -- The night ended with a few more dance moves and a rousing rendition of the Wolfpack fight song by the State pep band, followed by an autograph session in the Reynolds lobby.

The next time the teams are on the court in front of the public it will be a exhibition games, with the men taking on Mount Olive at PNC Arena on Sunday, Oct. 27 and the women playing Anderson at Reynolds on Halloween night.