NC State coach Kevin Keatts talked to the broadcast crew for about 3 1/2 minutes after the loss at Miami (Fla.), and here is a transcript of it:
What was the turning point of this one?
“I thought [Isaiah] Wong and [Jordan] Miller were great down the stretch. I think they both made big plays. We have to get tougher. What I mean by that, we have to get tougher mentally and physically. We got pushed around a lot. I didn’t think we did a great job of when things got a little bit tougher, of being mentally being involved and doing a great job with it.
“Give Miami credit. They fought and hung in there. Two really veteran guys that played here last year took the game over at the end and made plays for them.”
With Dusan Mahorcic out with an injury, were you surprised Miami attacked the post players?
“It wasn’t a surprise. We knew that coming in. We have to get better defensively. We did some good things on the offensive end. I didn’t like our defense. At the power forward position, we didn’t do a great job. I thought Miller was very active.
“We have to figure out how to get tougher. Toughness doesn’t just come from just pushing people around. We have to mentally lock in and process and get better.
“As a coach, it’s on me. I have to take care of that part of it.”
With Mahorcic out, how much did Jack Clark’s foul trouble change things?
“I don’t think Dusan being out had anything to do with how we played tonight. We did a decent job. I thought D.J. [Burns] had a productive offensive game. We have to get these guys to step up and take pride in getting stops on the other end.”
How was the job that Harland Beverly did on Terquavion Smith?
“Our two guards are playing at a really high level. They are going to see all kinds of defense. I thought Beverly was active. I thought [Bensley] Joseph came in and did a good job on him. We can’t every night, to expect those guys to have a great night and other guys not step up. We are looking as a staff for some guys who could give us a little spark here and perform for us.”
Did the scoring in the first half, which led to being able to set up the zone press, help slow them down?
“I thought in the first half when we scored, we were able to get into our presses. I thought we slowed them down a little bit as part of it. We have to, and I mean all of us, how to maintain that level of aggression and do a good job on both ends of the floor. I thought we died off a little bit.”
Do you think Smith and the Wolfpack were tired at the end?
“I don’t think he was tired. Terquavion has played a lot of minutes. You look at Miller and Wong and they played 38 minutes and [36]. I think he [Smith], just missed the free throws.”
What was the turning point of this one?
“I thought [Isaiah] Wong and [Jordan] Miller were great down the stretch. I think they both made big plays. We have to get tougher. What I mean by that, we have to get tougher mentally and physically. We got pushed around a lot. I didn’t think we did a great job of when things got a little bit tougher, of being mentally being involved and doing a great job with it.
“Give Miami credit. They fought and hung in there. Two really veteran guys that played here last year took the game over at the end and made plays for them.”
With Dusan Mahorcic out with an injury, were you surprised Miami attacked the post players?
“It wasn’t a surprise. We knew that coming in. We have to get better defensively. We did some good things on the offensive end. I didn’t like our defense. At the power forward position, we didn’t do a great job. I thought Miller was very active.
“We have to figure out how to get tougher. Toughness doesn’t just come from just pushing people around. We have to mentally lock in and process and get better.
“As a coach, it’s on me. I have to take care of that part of it.”
With Mahorcic out, how much did Jack Clark’s foul trouble change things?
“I don’t think Dusan being out had anything to do with how we played tonight. We did a decent job. I thought D.J. [Burns] had a productive offensive game. We have to get these guys to step up and take pride in getting stops on the other end.”
How was the job that Harland Beverly did on Terquavion Smith?
“Our two guards are playing at a really high level. They are going to see all kinds of defense. I thought Beverly was active. I thought [Bensley] Joseph came in and did a good job on him. We can’t every night, to expect those guys to have a great night and other guys not step up. We are looking as a staff for some guys who could give us a little spark here and perform for us.”
Did the scoring in the first half, which led to being able to set up the zone press, help slow them down?
“I thought in the first half when we scored, we were able to get into our presses. I thought we slowed them down a little bit as part of it. We have to, and I mean all of us, how to maintain that level of aggression and do a good job on both ends of the floor. I thought we died off a little bit.”
Do you think Smith and the Wolfpack were tired at the end?
“I don’t think he was tired. Terquavion has played a lot of minutes. You look at Miller and Wong and they played 38 minutes and [36]. I think he [Smith], just missed the free throws.”
