College Basketball: Ranking the top coaching moves of 2017-18 offseason

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 05: Georgetown University athletic director Lee Reed introduces NBA Hall of Famer and former Georgetown Hoyas player Patrick Ewing as the Georgetown Hoyas' new head basketball coach at John Thompson Jr. Athletic Center on April 5, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

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DURHAM, NC – JANUARY 23: Dennis Smith Jr. /

No. 10 Kevin Keatts to NC State

The NC State Wolfpack were the most disappointing team in all of college basketball last season. Boasting top recruits as well as veteran players, it was expected that NC State would at least give the top ACC teams a run for their money and make the NCAA Tournament with a shot to go for a deep run.

Instead, NC State finished next to last in the ACC with a dismal 15 – 17 overall record and just four conference wins.

This resulted in the firing of longtime NC State coach Mark Gottfried and the arrival of Kevin Keatts.

Keatts, who was a former assistant to Rick Pitino at Louisville, was most recently the coach of the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks.

Last season, UNCW finished with an impressive 29-6 record, winning the CAA and making it to the 2017 NCAA Tournament. The Seahawks would eventually lose to the Virginia Cavaliers by just five, but the season was impressive enough to draw interest from several programs who wanted to hire Keatts.

Keatts has what it takes to turn this NC State program around, but it is going to take time.

He already has one four-star, ESPN Top 100 recruit in Lavar Batts coming to the Wolfpack next season and another four-star committed in Jamie Lewis for 2018. This level of recruiting combined with his coaching ability should mean that the Wolfpack get back on track soon, but fans should be patient. The ACC is tough, and it’s a big jump from a transition season to the NCAA Tournament in the ACC.

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