Bad beats: 3 takeaways as NC State drops ninth straight in 25-point loss to Louisville
N.C. State head coach Kevin Keatts has made it clear the 2024-25 squad needs multiple players to have double-digit scoring games to win. It doesn’t have a primary scorer, or the offensive firepower it had last year with players like DJ Horne, Jarkel Joiner and Terquavion Smith.
That was abundantly clear Wednesday night at Lenovo Center as Horne sat courtside, the diamond “DH” necklace that was featured during N.C. State’s 2024 Final Four run around his neck. If there was a time the Wolfpack needed his scoring abilities, it was now.
N.C. State entered the game against Louisville with one of the worst offenses in the country. It averaged 69.6 points per game, ranking No. 287 in Division I and No. 17 in the ACC. The Wolfpack only has three players averaging double figures.
Its worst offensive output came against SMU when it scored 57 points on 29.2% shooting, but its performance against the Cardinals narrowly edged out the Mustangs matchup.
N.C. State fell to Louisville, 91-66, to pick up its ninth straight loss and largest margin of defeat of the season.
The Cardinals started on a 7-0 run and took a double-digit lead seven minutes into the game while N.C. State couldn’t find a basket.
The Pack started 1 of 8 from the field, Jayden Taylor hitting the first basket three minutes into the game and snapping the Cards’ early run. Neither he nor anyone else could build off that basket. N.C. State did not hit back-to-back field goals until 13 minutes had passed.
The team shot 10-31 (32.3%) from the field and 4-14 (28.6%) from 3 in the opening 20 minutes. It finished with a 36.1% shooting efficiency, the second worst of the year.
Trey Parker led the Wolfpack with 13 points. Paul McNeil, Breon Pass and Marcus Hill added double digits. Taylor, Michael O’Connell, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Ben Middlebrooks and Dontrez Styles finished a combined 5 of 22 (22.7%) from the field.
“It definitely feels great to see me and Paul back on the court together at the same time,” Parker said. “He had a big spark at the end of the game, but we’ve got to keep fighting.”
Keatts said Parker and McNeil were two bright spots in the blowout loss, but he still needs more consistency, especially from his veteran players.
“We need some of our older guys to take us to the finish line,” Keatts said. “Paul and Trey, they shouldn’t have to be put in that position to take us to the finish line. We just haven’t gotten that yet.”
In addition to the lack of scoring, turnovers were a problem. Those have been one of N.C. State’s only areas of consistency this season, but its clean ball handling and discipline were nowhere to be found in the first half.
The Wolfpack committed nine first-half turnovers, including one on the opening possession that Louisville turned into points.
N.C. State entered the game leading the ACC in turnovers per game (9.3), which ranked No. 7 in the nation, and turnover margin (3.1). The Pack also ranked No. 5 in the league for turnovers forced per game (12.4).
The Cardinals scored 18 points in the opening frame from the errors. Pair those easy possessions with N.C. State’s inefficient shooting, the Wolfpack found itself down 17 midway through the first half.
N.C. State’s defense couldn’t hold Louisville, either. The Cardinals’ 91 points and 63.5% shooting were season highs by any Wolfpack opponent.
“Normally, I would come in here and I would talk about how our defense has really kept us in a lot of games. I didn’t think it was very good tonight,” Keatts said. “We didn’t do a good job understanding scouting reports. We knew Louisville is obviously a great shooting team, not a good shooting team, and obviously gave up 11 threes. They were 11 for 19. We just had too many breakdowns defensively.
“Tonight was one-off. I hope it’s a one-off.”
Terrence Edwards is averaging 14.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He finished with 21 points, four rebounds and went 4-4 from the perimeter. The guard also added two stops on defense, according to the advanced analytics.
“He’s having such a great year. He’s an extraordinary young man. He is such a team player. He is such a dog and such a competitor, and has such toughness and grit about him,” Louisville coach Pat Kelsey said before the game. “We all know his calling card is his ability to put that ball in the basket. He’s doing that as well as anybody right now. But the big story, I think, is just how he’s upped the level of his defense. I really think it set the tone for the rest of our team to raise the level of their defense.”
Chucky Hepburn is one of the best guards in the nation, amassing 143 assists and 64 turnovers. His assist total ranks No. 2 in the ACC and No. 20 in the country. He’s added 54 steals, 34% of the team’s 157 steals. He has more steals individually than the next best three players combined and leads the ACC, while ranking No. 18 in the nation.
Hepburn finished with 15 points, six assists and two steals.
“We’ve got to own this one. I’m going to own it as the head coach,” Keatts said. “I’m going to be pissed off all night, and probably most of the day tomorrow. Then, when I see our guys, we’re going to prepare for Boston College. And that’s, that’s how we do it. That’s what it’s about.”
Here are three takeaways from the loss.
Huntley-Hatfield returns as starter
Louisville transfer Brandon Huntley-Hatfield returned to the starting lineup Wednesday night for the first time since Jan. 4 when he and Ben Middlebrooks started together against Wake Forest.
In the opening four minutes, the Wolfpack center recorded three rebounds and one assist. He also committed a pair of turnovers.
Huntley-Hatfield played nine first-half minutes and pulled down nine rebounds, tying his season high. He grabbed a career-high seven rebounds on the offensive end.
In the second half, Huntley-Hatfield finished with 10 rebounds and three assists. He scored four points in the loss.
Huntley-Hatfield sustained a shoulder injury Jan. 8 against Notre Dame. He has appeared in three games since then, scoring 15 points, pulling down 13 rebounds and adding five assists.
The center did not make the West Coast trip last week. Keatts said the team and doctors decided to try a week of aggressive treatment and rehab without competition.
Keatts said it was good to see Huntley-Hatfield back on the floor and get a significant contribution from him. The team finished with 14 offensive rebounds, which provided plenty of opportunities to score, but it wasn’t able to capitalize.
“Here is my issue, we get a Brandon who plays hard and gives us seven offensive rebounds,” Keatts said. “Then, you look at the stat sheet, some other guys that you expect to play and help you just don’t.”
Pass picks up scoring in first half
In a game that featured very little offense — even by this team’s standards — senior Breon Pass was one of the few positives.
Pass started 4 for 4 overall, including a perfect 2 for 2 from the perimeter and one-handed dunk. He was the only player with multiple field goals 15 minutes into the game and scored 12 first-half points.
His first miss came with 1:49 remaining in the second half, but freshman Paul McNeil was under the basket for the putback.
The four-year Wolfpack guard’s 3s were his first since Jan. 8 against Notre Dame. He went 0 of 5 in the following month. Despite his slump, Pass entered the game shooting a team-high 45.7% from downtown.
Hill eclipses 1,000 points
Guard Marcus Hill joined the 1,000-point scoring club during the Wolfpack’s loss to Louisville after scoring 10 points.
Hill has scored 307 points this season. He added three rebounds, an assist and one steal.
Horne and DJ Burns were the most recent players to eclipse 1,000 career points while playing for N.C. State.
This story was originally published February 12, 2025 at 9:27 PM with the headline "Bad beats: 3 takeaways as NC State drops ninth straight in 25-point loss to Louisville."
