Latest Kevin Keatts News
High schools to high majors: Final Four includes 3 coaches with roots in high school
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The longer Nate Oats coached at Romulus High School outside of Detroit, the more comfortable he felt with his position in the coaching hierarchy. Oats had always pictured himself as a Division I college coach, yet he had built a top-tier program at Romulus...
NC State's Keatts wears tributes to ACC title, Final Four runs with custom add-ons to his shoes
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — North Carolina State coach Kevin Keatts' shoes say everything about the Wolfpack's improbable Final Four run — literally. Keatts was walking around State Farm Stadium ahead of the team's practice Friday sporting custom illustration work on his Adidas shoes,...
Horne's return to NC State has played a critical role in the Wolfpack's unexpected Final Four run
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — DJ Horne has taken a long road to the Final Four. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard has been the undersized, unoffered recruit out of North Carolina State's base of Raleigh. He's been the strong mid-major performer for two years at Illinois State, followed by the...
At Final Four, they turn back the clock with Purdue, NC State and an old-school matchup of big men
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The opener at the Final Four on Saturday might feel like a trip through a time machine. Yes, those are Purdue and North Carolina State — one program here for the first time since 1980, the other trying to write a 21st-century version of college...
Final Four serves up the usual menu of fun stories -- and UConn looks to snuff out all of them
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The Final Four this week delivers the last entry in college basketball's heartwarming yearbook, an annual assortment of legendary longshots, coaches looking for hugs and magic oozing from every corner of the bracket. Only problem with the 2024 version: UConn...
At Final Four, NC State big man Burns says no, he has no plans on playing football
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — North Carolina State big man DJ Burns Jr. sees himself as a center on the basketball court, not a pulling guard on the football field. His interest in playing football when the season is over: “Zero,” he said Thursday. The 6-foot-9,...
From NC State's Kevin Keatts to Florida St's Leonard Hamilton, ACC is home to 9 Black head coaches
Kevin Keatts' path through the NCAA Tournament with North Carolina State included beating three teams with white head coaches, with another up next in the Final Four against Purdue's Matt Painter. Marquette's Shaka Smart was the only fellow Black head coach he saw down the sideline...
NC State's Final Four double has Wolfpack fans howling with March Madness delight
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The grave sits perched on a hill in the historic 72-acre Oakwood Cemetery near downtown. It bears “Valvano” carved in large letters on polished black stone, honoring North Carolina State’s charismatic coach who sold big dreams then lived them in an unforgettable run to...
A pair of DJs going to the Final Four after coming together at North Carolina State
DALLAS (AP) — DJ Horne got a chance to play at home when he transferred to North Carolina State this season after starting for two other schools. Big body DJ Burns Jr. wasn't really sure how things were going to play out when he put his name into the transfer portal two years ago. ...
N.C. State and its 2 DJs headed to 1st Final Four since 1983 after 76-64 win over Duke
DALLAS (AP) — Bruising big man DJ Burns Jr. plays with plenty of joy, skipping on and off the floor and interacting with North Carolina State fans that he often works into a frenzy with slick moves and a soft-touch shot. “I was raised in a happy environment,” Burns said. “I...
