Exceeding Expectations, NC State Coach Kevin Keatts Reflects on Advancing to Sweet 16 and Fairytale March Madness

The NCAA DI MBB has reached another phase with teams continuously moving to their Sweet Sixteen rounds. Gaining surprisingly good momentum, Kevin Keatts and the Wolfpack has again shown their potential by cruising through their second-round rivals Oakland by 79-73. Evidently, they have reached the third round of March Madness after 2015, almost filling a decade.

Talking about the same, their beloved coach Kevin Keatts who will be entering his eighth season with the Wolfpack soon talked to Jeff Goodman on ‘Field of 68: After Dark’. Describing the last 11 days to Goodman, the coach said, “It’s been a magical run. Just going through ACC if you look at the teams that we beat. Starting with Louisville and Syracuse and then obviously Duke, Virginia, and then Carolina for the championship. Man, what a run.”

He added, “We just cleaned up some of the things we didn’t do well in the regular season and obviously, we’re here now, going to the Sweet Sixteen.” Kevin Keatts acknowledged that the discussions and gossip about him and the team not doing well only brought the roster close. Undeniably, their achievements so far do give their red and white jersey a new shine.

Certainly, the Wolfpack have done some immaculate work this season. They have left behind seasoned teams popularly known for having good winning streaks like Duke. They have also won the ACC championship after 37 years and 6 seasons after Keatts became their coach. According to Goodman, the 2x CAA Coach of the Year also adds two more years to his contract with NC State with this win.

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Although he just made the slide with a 6-point difference, Keatts only had good words for the Golden Grizzlies. He even described the heavyweight game as a good one and was only relieved to make it through. He also appreciated the NC State fans for believing in the team.

Kevin Keatts and NC State in March Madness: A peek into their tourney

After winning their conference championship, the Wolfpack wrote its name on the March Madness bracket through the automatic bid. However, landing as the 11th seed in the South region was not an easy one for them. Their very first opponents were Texas Tech (6) who most believed will advance, ending NC State’s championship dream.

But, the team turned the tides and swam past the Red Raiders with 80-67, giving the 2024 March Madness its 6-11 Cinderella story. They then outlasted Oakland in Pittsburgh. Unquestionably, they have created their own path this year and defied the negative expectations most people had.

Next, the Wolfpack will march to Dallas to take over either Marquette (2) or Colorado (10) who will be flying in from Indianapolis. It will be interesting to see how far Kevin Keatts can take NC State.

Do you believe NC State will write another Cinderella story by defeating Marquette?

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