Preview: Louisville Cardinals vs. NC State Wolfpack

Louisville Cardinals (2-10, 0-2 ACC) at NC State Wolfpack (10-3, 0-2 ACC)

- Tipoff: Thursday, December 22 at 7:00 p.m. EST
- Location: PNC Center in Raleigh, N.C.
- How To Watch: ACC Network
- How To Listen: 93.9 FM
- Betting Favorite: NC State -17.5
- All-Time Series: Louisville leads 14-11
- Last Meeting: NC State won 79-63 on Jan. 12, 2021 (KFC Yum! Center - Louisville, Ky.)

Projected Starting Lineups

Louisville

G El Ellis (6-3, 180, Sr.)
G/F Mike James (6-5, 215, R-Fr.)
F Jae'Lyn Withers (6-9, 220, R-Jr.)
F Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (6-10, 250, So.)
F Sydney Curry (6-8, 270, Sr.)

NC State

G Terquavion Smith (6-4, 165, So.)
G Jarkel Joiner (6-1, 180, Gr.)
G Jack Clark (6-8, 200, Gr.)
G Casey Morsell (6-3, 200, Sr.)
F D.J. Burns (6-9, 275, Gr.)

Comparison

See how the Cardinals stack up against the Wolfpack, and who the statistical models favor: Tale of The Tape, Predictions: Louisville vs. NC State

Game Notes

Louisville

Over the last three games, senior guard El Ellis has averaged 22.3 points, 7.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds while making 8 of 19 3-pointers. He set career highs against Western Kentucky with 30 points and 10 assists. Ellis is the first Cardinal to hit those marks since current team video coordinator Reece Gaines did it against TCU on March 6, 2002. It’s the 22nd time nationally since 2018 that a player has reached those numbers, and Ellis is the first player in Division I to do so this season.
After averaging 1.7 points and 3.6 rebounds across the first nine games, senior forward Sydney Curry is averaging 11.7 points and 10.7 rebounds over the last three games while shooting 65% overall. His career-high 19 rebounds against Florida A&M were the most by a Cardinal since Luke Whitehead grabbed 19 boards against Marquette on Jan. 31, 2004.
Junior forward JJ Traynor has made more 3-pointers in 11 games this season (10 of 24, .417) than he did in his first two full seasons combined (7 of 16).
Freshman forward Kamari Lands has averaged 10 points per game off the bench across Louisville’s last three games, while making 15 of 16 free throws. Lands has made 30 of 32 free throws overall this season (93.8%), which ranks him fifth nationally and first in the ACC. Lands is the only freshman in the top 25 in the country for free-throw percentage.
One of the Cardinals’ strengths as a team has been getting to the free-throw line. Louisville ranks 92nd in the country in free throws made per game at 14.1 and 39th in free-throw percentage at 75.4%. Louisville has shot at least 20 free throws in each of the last three games and is 56 of 68 overall (82.4%) from the charity stripe over that span.
Last game: Louisville fell 75-67 to Lipscomb to snap their two-game win streak, the first winning streak of the Kenny Payne era.
KEY FIRST HALF RUN: The Bisons gained separation with a 10-0 run that began at the 13:22 mark of the first half and elapsed 1:30. The Cardinals scored the final six points of the half, bringing the deficit down to one entering the locker room.
KEY SECOND HALF RUN: The Cardinals struggled from the floor midway through the second half, connecting on only one field goal over an eight-minute period that allowed the Bison lead to grow to as much as 12. Louisville closed the gap to five with a 7-0 burst starting at 5:59 and covering just 1:11 but were unable to get any closer the rest of the way.
UofL shot 22 of 56 (.393) from the field, 6 of 18 (.333) from 3-point range, and 17 of 21 (.810) from the free-throw line. The Cardinals committed a season-low 10 turnovers on the night, with only three coming in the first half. It was the first time all season that Louisville has recorded less turnovers than its opponent. Louisville outscored Lipscomb 18-9 in points off turnovers. Louisville’s 21 free throw attempts on the night marks the third time in as many games that the Cardinals have attempted at least 20 free throws.
El Ellis scored a game-high 24 points, shooting 6 of 14 from the field, 4 of 9 from three-point range, and 8 of 10 from the charity stripe while playing all 40 minutes for the second time this season. Ellis has now scored in double figures in 10 of the Cardinals’ first 12 games and has gone for over 20 points in four games this season. o The guard also recorded six assists, giving him 23 helpers over the Cardinals’ last three games, the most over any three-game span in his career.
Sydney Curry scored in double figures for the third consecutive game, notching 12 points on 5 of 8 shooting and pulling down a team-high seven rebounds. Curry also blocked a shot and recorded one steal while logging a season-high 31 minutes.
J.J. Traynor poured in eight points on an efficient 4 of 6 shooting from the field over 27 minutes. The forward also grabbed three rebounds and accounted for two steals.
Jae'Lyn Withers tallied nine points on 4 of 10 shooting while also snaring four rebounds. o The forward also recorded an assist, a steal, and blocked one shot.

NC State

NC State battled back from an eight-point second half deficit to beat, Vanderbilt, 70-66, Saturday night at the United Center in Chicago. DJ Burns and Casey Morsell combined to score 26 of NC State’s 36 points in the second half. Burns finished with a season-high 18 points (14 in the second half) and added nine rebounds and a season-best three assists. Morsell finished with 15 points (12 in the second half).
Terquavion Smith also reached double figures with 16 points and added a team-leading five assists and three steals. Jarkel Joiner chipped in 12 points.
NC State won despite tying a season-low for fastbreak points (9) and scoring its second-fewest points off turnovers (5) of the season.
The victory was the 100th win for Kevin Keatts as head coach of the Pack. Coincidentally, Keatts 100th career victory as a collegiate head coach also came against the Vanderbilt program. He won his 100th career game on Dec. 1, 2018 when the Pack defeated the Commodores, 80-65, in Miami.
One of the top guard duos in the country: Graduate guard Jarkel Joiner and sophomore guard Terquavion Smith form one of the top guard duos in the country. They are the highest scoring guard tandem in the ACC combining to average 34.8 points per game while also combine to have the most assists (115) of any two players in the ACC and they also have the most combined steals (43) of any two-guard tandem in the ACC.
Get back to a home court advantage. NC State has only won one of its last 11 ACC home games. The Pack went 1-9 at home last season and dropped its first home game of the ACC season this year to Pitt on Friday, Dec. 2. NC State had a 22-13 home record in conference games in Keatts’ first four seasons as head coach of the Pack.
Terquavion Smith had it going vs. Louisville last season: In two games against the Cardinals last season, Smith averaged 20.5 points per game while shooting 69.6 percent from the field, including 64.3 percent from three-point range. Smith made his first collegiate start in the Pack's 73-68 loss to Louisville on Dec. 4. He scored 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 3-of-5 from long-range. In the Pack's 79-63 win at Louisville on Jan. 12, Smith scored 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 6-of-9 from three.
DJ Burns stepping in Mahorcic’s absence: In the three games since Dusan Mahorcic was injured, graduate forward DJ Burns is averaging 14.3 points per game, 7.3 rebounds (including 3.7 offensive rebounds) per game and 2.3 assists per game. Burns is shooting 60.7 percent from the field (17-of-28) and is 100 percent (7-of-7) from the foul line.
Thursday is matchup of two of only five guards in the ACC to rank in the top-10 in both scoring and assists. The Pack's Terquavion Smith leads the ACC in assists (5.5 per game) and is second in the conference in scoring (18.2). Louisville's El Ellis is fifth (17.3) in the ACC in scoring and seventh in assists (4.5)
Pack still looking for more bench production: The loss of Dusan Mahorcic has hurt the Pack’s depth. The Pack has played three games since Mahorcic - who started nine of the first 10 games of the season - dislocated his patella against Coppin State on Dec. 6. In two of the three games, NC State’s bench has scored just two points (at Miami and vs. Vanderbilt). Overall, the Pack is averaging 7.7 bench points in its last three games. In the first 10 games of the season, NC State’s bench was averaging 17.1 points per game.
Pack has held its own on the boards: NC State has out-rebounded its opponent in 10 of 13 games this season (NC State only out-rebounded its opponent in 10 of 32 games last season). In the three games it has been out-rebounded, Kansas and Coppin State only edged NC State by one rebound and Miami finished +4 in rebounding in its win. The Pack ranks fourth in the ACC in rebounding margin at +4.5. It finished 14th in the ACC last season in rebounding margin at -2.8.
Different styles: NC State enters the game, second in the ACC in scoring at 81.0 points per game. Louisville ranks 15th in the ACC, averaging to score just 61.2 points per game. NC State has only scored under 70 points in one of 13 games this season. Louisville has only scored 70 or more points in two of 12 games this season. NC State is 7-1 this season when it holds its opponent under 70 points.
NC State leads the ACC in turnover margin (+3.3), steals (9.5 per game) and forcing turnovers (14.5 per game). Louisville enters the game, 15th in the ACC in turnover margin (-3.8) and last in turnovers per game (16.5). The Pack is 6-0 this season when it forces its opponent into 15 or more turnovers, but in its two ACC games this year, the Pack is only averaging to force its opponents into 10 turnovers per game and is averaging just six steals per outing.

(Photo of Sydney Curry, Dereon Seabron: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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