PITTSBURGH — Kevin Keatts should only be worried about keeping the NC State basketball team's season alive.

Instead, Keatts, like many other teams still competing in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, have to make tough decisions. Most, if not all, of the Wolfpack's focus should be on the second round opponent Oakland for Saturday night's game in PPG Paints Arena.

Instead, at least some of Keatts attention has to divert elsewhere.

On Monday, less than 24 hours after Selection Sunday, the NCAA's transfer portal window for basketball players opened. Running through May 1, this is the period of time players across the country can insert their name into the portal, allowing them to be swooned by other teams to join a new program.

Keatts is plenty familiar with the transfer portal. His starting five is comprised entirely of players who began their careers at other school. Four of his top guys are graduate players, meaning Keatts will need to replace the likes of DJ Horne, D.J. Burns, Jr., Michael O'Connell and Casey Morsell for next season.

More: NC State basketball attacks Texas Tech's weak spot in convincing March Madness victory

Because of when the transfer portal window has opened, and the Wolfpack are still playing, Keatts doesn't have time to devote to players already in the portal — but he has to anyway.

Keatts, like many other coaches across the country, sees a big problem with this.

"As a guy who loves to recruit," Keatts said Friday, "it has been a major challenge getting ready to for a great Oakland team and then trying to figure out who we can go after in the transfer portal. And I wish something is listening that we would push those things back or change the dates and stuff like that. ..."

Keatts went on to say that teams competing in the NCAA Tournament, as well as the National Invitational Tournament, are at a major disadvantage when it comes to an ability to recruit the portal while also trying to keep their seasons alive.

"One of the things I said to my staff today," Keatts continued, "I'm so used to playing the next day I forgot after we won the game last night, I thought we played today. ... so I considered this a day off even though it's not a day off. And I text my staff and said, 'Hey, if you guys need me, let's get on the phone with some guys are in the transfer portal' so we could try to get ahead of some of these things, but it's a complete disadvantage right now."

More: NC State basketball eliminates Texas Tech to advance in NCAA Tournament

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: NC State coach Kevin Keatts wants NCAA transfer portal window moved