Two games, 51 forced turnovers. How NC State’s defense is setting the tone this season.

There is nothing wrong with N.C. State’s offense. Far from it, in fact.

In the first two games of the season, the Wolfpack has scored 181 points — 95 against Charleston Southern and 86 points against North Florida. Kevin Keatts said most college coaches in the nation would love to have those offensive totals through two games.

In the Wolfpack’s 86-51 win over the Ospreys on Friday, four players — Jericole Hellems, Cam Hayes, Manny Bates, D.J. Funderburk — scored in double figures. The Wolfpack (2-0) shot 56 percent from the floor against North Florida and never trailed.

Keatts’ team has done plenty of scoring this week, but the Wolfpack’s defensive play has been equally impressive so far.

Against Charleston Southern and North Florida, the Wolfpack forced a combined 51 turnovers. N.C. State has really turned it on in the second half, outscoring those two opponents 96-53.

North Florida shot 38% from the floor on Friday, and the Wolfpack scored 24 points off turnovers. In the opening minutes of the second half, N.C. State forced the Ospreys to miss their first six shots from the floor and forced two turnovers. Those first five minutes of the second half put the game out of reach for North Florida.

While Keatts isn’t having any issues getting offense, it’s his defense that’s set the tone.

“We’re playing with great energy and passion,” Keatts said. “Guys are playing really, really hard and I base their minutes on how hard they play on the defensive end.”

Wolfpack forcing turnovers

After Charleston Southern shot 47.7 percent from the floor on Wednesday, Keatts wanted to see how his team would improve from one game to the next. One stat that jumps out is the sub 40 shooting percentage the team held North Florida to.

Center Manny Bates had all six blocks for the team and three players — Hellems, Braxton Beverly, Devon Daniels — had at least two steals. N.C. State finished with 10 steals on Friday.

Cam Hayes, the true freshman guard from Greensboro, finished with 13 points, and for the second straight game got a steal early at halfcourt and finished at the basket.

Easy baskets like that, created on the defensive end, help get the offense going for young players like Hayes.

“I just know on the defensive end I just try and play as hard as I can,” Hayes said. “I know it’s going to take a while to get everything (offensively) and I’m going to mess up, but on defense I just try to play as hard as I can.”

Keeping Manny Bates out of foul trouble

The main fixture of the N.C. State defense is Bates, who has eight blocks in 41 total minutes this season. Before the season started, Keatts talked about how he wished his perimeter defenders did a better job keeping their man in front of them so Bates wouldn’t have to contest as many shots.

That doesn’t seem to be an issue this season. Keatts’ players on the floor in front of Bates include athletic wings who can guard 94 feet like Hellems, Daniels and redshirt freshman Dereon Seabron. The guard combo of Hayes, Shakeel Moore and Braxton Beverly also do a good job harassing the opponents as they bring the ball up the floor.

“It’s our pressure, really being able to pick up fullcourt,” Bates said. “And just being able to harass guys when they are bringing the ball up the court. We want to turn people over, starting from when the ball is thrown in, we just want to pick up our intensity the whole game.”

Against North Florida, it helped to have Bates be able to remain on the floor. Foul trouble has plagued the Fayetteville product throughout his short career, but he had just one foul on Friday. That allowed Bates to play 28 minutes and protect the rim. Bates only played 13 minutes in the opener because of foul trouble.

Keatts said the versatility and depth of his roster will allow him to keep the pressure up this season.

“A lot of guys that can switch (defensively),” Keatts said about his defensive players. “The majority of the roster can guard 1-4 and that makes it tough on teams because you really don’t get a screening advantage.”

In his first two seasons at N.C. State, Keatts’ teams led the ACC in forced turnovers. They dropped to fifth last season with 14.2. Through two games, N.C. State is averaging 25.5 turnovers. The team is 39-14 under Keatts when they force 15 or more turnovers.