N.C. State fired head coach Kevin Keatts on Sunday. Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
One year after taking the Wolfpack on a thrilling run to the Final Four, Kevin Keatts' time as the head basketball coach at N.C. State is over.
Why it matters: His firing caps a year of highs and lows for the program, going from winning its first ACC championship in 37 years to missing the ACC Tournament entirely after going 5-15 in conference.
What they're saying: In a statement, Keatts referenced the changing nature of the college game, saying he was entering the portal.
"As we enter this new era of college sports, I wholeheartedly believe that I am leaving the program in better position to succeed than when I started — and that the basketball program will continue to thrive when supported to the level necessary to compete," Keatts said.
Elsewhere in North Carolina:
Duke pulled away from UNC in the second half to win 82-69 in Chapel Hill and win the ACC regular season.
Duke's women's team beat N.C. State 76-62 in Greensboro to win the ACC Tournament.
And High Point University won the Big South tournament to book its first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
What's next: The ACC men's basketball tournament begins in Charlotte tomorrow.
Check out the bracket here and read Axios Charlotte's guide to the tournament here.
