The different paths ahead for NC State men's basketball
>> WRAL, SPORTS STARTS NOW.
>> NC STATE HEAD COACH KEVIN
KEATTS RELEASED A STATEMENT
FOLLOWING BEING FIRED. THERE
WERE A COUPLE OF POINTS I
WANTED TO REVIEW. HE THANKS.
FORMER DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS
DEBBIE YOW WHO HIRED HIM.
WE WERE ABLE TO GUIDE THE
PROGRAM THROUGH 5 YEARS OF
INVESTIGATIONS AND PENALTIES
AND CAME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE
WITH BACK-TO-BACK NCAA
TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES. AND FOR
THE FIRST TIME IN 37 IN 40
YEARS AND ACC CHAMPIONSHIP AND
A TRIP TO THE FINAL 4, THE
INVESTIGATION IN QUESTION AS
A REFRESHER WAS FROM THE NCAA
ORIGINALLY SPARKED BY AN FBI
INVESTIGATION INTO AN
ACCUSATION THAT UNDER THE
PREVIOUS MEN'S BASKETBALL
STAFF, A FORMER PLAYER DENNIS
SMITH JUNIOR, WAS PAID 10'S
OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
THE WOLFPACK ULTIMATELY LOST
SCHOLARSHIPS AND HAD SOME
RECRUITING LIMITATIONS HAVING
THAT HANG OVER THE PROGRAM FOR
YEARS WAS INDEED A CHALLENGE.
FOODS WAS FORCED TO DEAL WITH.
>> HE ALSO SAID I
WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE THE I AM
LEAVING THE PROGRAM IN A BETTER
POSITION TO SUCCEED. AND WHEN
I STARTED AND THAT THE
BASKETBALL PROGRAM WILL
CONTINUE TO THRIVE WHEN
SUPPORTED TO THE LEVEL
NECESSARY TO COMPETE GETTING
PAST THE INVESTIGATIONS,
GETTING NATIONAL NOTORIETY AND
WINNING AN ACC TITLE AND FINAL
4 APPEARANCE. I THINK THAT'S
FAIR TO SAY IT'S THE COMMENT AT
THE END ABOUT RESOURCES.
THAT IS INTERESTING. HEAT HAS
SPOKEN MULTIPLE TIMES THIS
SEASON ABOUT AND I ALL MEANS
AND GROWTH. SOMETHING A NEW
COACHING STAFF WOULD HAVE TO
DEAL WITH.
>> HERE'S WHAT HE SAID AFTER
THE SECOND LOSS THIS SEASON
TO UNC.
>> THE LANDSCAPE HAS CHANGED
AROUND US. AND WHAT I MEAN BY
THAT, IF YOU WENT TO THE FINAL
4, YOU WANT TO BE A SHE YOU
COULD GET ANY PLAYER, NOT ANY
PLAYER, BUT MOST OF THE PLAYERS
YOU WANT IT BECAUSE OF THAT.
BUT WHEN YOU ADD THE NIL PART
TO IT, NONE OF THAT MATTERS TO
YOU CAN FLIP A TEAM JUST LIKE
THAT.
>> SO WHO'LL BE NC STATE'S NEXT
COACH. I'M NOT GOING TO STAND
UP HERE AND ACT LIKE I HAVE
THE ANSWERS. BUT THERE ARE A
FEW PATHS. THE WOLF PACK OF
SHOES IN THEIR DECISION MAKING.
WE'LL START WITH MAJOR PROGRAMS
GETTING HEAD COACH TO MOVE FROM
A POWER FOR PROGRAM MIGHT PROVE
UNLIKELY THERE HAS BEEN A PATH
WITH ASSISTANCE. HOWEVER, THINK
JAY LUCAS, FOR EXAMPLE, A
FORMER DUKE ASSISTANT JUST
HIRED AT MIAMI. WHAT ABOUT THE
NBA ASSISTANT COACH ROUTE LUKE
LOUCKS WAS JUST HIRED AT
FLORIDA STATE TO TAKE OVER FOR
LEONARD HAMILTON. HE WAS AN
ASSISTANT WITH THE GOLDEN STATE
WARRIORS AND SACRAMENTO KINGS.
THEN, OF COURSE, THERE'S THE
MID MAJOR HEAD COACH PATH.
PLENTY OF EXAMPLES OF THIS
WORKING LOOK NO FURTHER AND THE
ACC THIS YEAR, LOUISVILLE HEAD
COACH PAT KELSEY HAS TURNED
THE CARDINALS AROUND
DRAMATICALLY. WHATEVER COMES
NEXT. I CAN IMAGINE THE
WOLFPACK TAKING TOO TERRIBLY