NC State men’s basketball has become quite predictable this season, consistently dropping ACC games. However, against Louisville, the Wolfpack hit a new low in a 91-66 loss — the Wolfpack’s largest loss of the season.
From the jump, the Cardinals (19-6, 12-2 ACC) dominated the Pack (9-15, 2-11 ACC) on both ends of the court. While NC State has prided itself on its defense this season, the Wolfpack looked completely lost on that end of the floor. With a barrage of 3s, Louisville dug NC State’s grave early. Reyne Smith and Terrence Edwards Jr. proved to be especially dangerous, hitting nine 3s combined.
“Our defense has really kept us in a lot of games, but I didn’t think we were very good tonight,” said head coach Kevin Keatts. “I hope it’s a one-off. I just think we didn’t do a good job on the defensive end … didn’t like the way we played.”
Offensively, things weren’t much better for the Wolfpack. Only two starters — senior guard Marcus Hill and senior forward Dontrez Styles — scored multiple baskets. With the starters coming out flat, NC State didn’t have a chance against the Cardinals’ high-octane offense. As a team, the red-and-white shot just 36.1% from the floor. Compared to Louisville’s 63.6% shooting, the Pack certainly didn’t look like it belonged on the same court.
Poor shooting wasn’t the only issue that plagued NC State. The Wolfpack struggled to take care of the basketball, turning it over 12 times. Senior forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield especially struggled against his former team, giving away a trio of turnovers and making it difficult for NC State to get any offense from the post.
While Huntley-Hatfield struggled offensively, he at least contributed 10 boards. However, the rest of NC State’s squad failed to make any impact on the glass. Senior forward Ben Middlebrooks tallied just three rebounds all night, despite actually playing more than Huntley-Hatfield. As the Pack’s second option at center, Middlebrooks’ inability to rebound cost the Pack in a major way.
“Here’s my issue,” Keatts said. “We get Brandon who gives us seven offensive rebounds, but then you look at the stat sheet and some other guys you expect to help you, just don’t.”
While NC State’s starters turned in one of their worst collective games of the season, the Pack found some offense on its bench. Freshman guard Trey Parker led the Wolfpack in scoring with 13 points, while freshman guard Paul McNeil posted 12 points on 5-7 shooting. The freshman duo showed that they’re improving and have earned their time on the floor.
Meanwhile, senior guard Breon Pass gave NC State a brief spark late in the first half, igniting the offense for a few minutes before halftime. The senior finished with 12 points in the half before going scoreless in the second half. One of the only positives for the Wolfpack is the continued growth of its freshmen.
“Most definitely, this boosted my confidence,” McNeil said. “I’ve just been practicing hard all week, putting in extra work to prepare.”
With the loss, NC State is making history — just not in the way it would like to. Now losing nine straight games, the Wolfpack has tied the program’s longest losing streak of the 21st century. With one more loss, the Pack would have its longest losing streak in decades. With the season in a complete tailspin, the red-and-white has rarely seen such lows.
“After a lot of losses, everybody has their heads down,” Parker said. “At the end of the day, there’s gotta be one leader. There can be multiple leaders, but there’s gotta be a leader to pick everybody up.”
Next up, NC State will host Boston College on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be televised on ACC Network.
