It’s not clear whether Kevin Keatts has limited Manny Bates’ minutes because he’s a freshman, because of his injury history, because of fear of foul-outs, or because he simply doesn’t fully trust him yet. But Bates came into the game against Pitt averaging only 18.7 minutes per game.
Now, when you look at Bates stat line, 18.7 minutes per game seems like a lot. The freshman big man is averaging 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks per game, but if you’ve watched NC State recently you may have noticed that they are a much better team when he’s on the floor.