The Few Bright Spots From NC State's Debacle in Louisville

RALEIGH — There aren't many positives to be taken away from a 41-point loss for NC State men's basketball, but the Wolfpack still managed to have some bright spots in Monday's disastrous performance against No. 24 Louisville. While those performances weren't nearly enough, it's all something Will Wade and his staff can use to build back up on.

The standout outings of the night came from the home team, as the Cardinals had Mikel Brown and Ryan Conwell combine for 76 points, with Brown setting a freshman record with 45 points and 10 made 3-pointers. No matter the potency of its own scorers, NC State had no answer for that eruption. Who stood out for the Pack?

Steady outing from Lubin

Feb 9, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; NC State Wolfpack forward Ven-Allen Lubin (22) dunks against Louisville Cardinals forward Sananda Fru (13) during the first half at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

The Wolfpack's rock inside did not play his best defensive game, but he continued to operate with success on the other end. Senior forward Ven-Allen Lubin racked up a quality 20 points and six rebounds, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and correcting some of his issues from the free-throw line that he dealt with over the last couple of games.

Lubin battled against the flotilla of Louisville bigs, starting with Sananda Fru and Aly Khalifa, both capable passers who picked apart the Wolfpack defense as a whole. Over time, Lubin applied more pressure and slowed down some of the quick passing for Khalifa, who still had four assists in the win for the Cardinals. NC State's senior forward will try to build on the strong offense and recover on Saturday against Miami.

Holloman continues shooting well

After a solid pair of outings against SMU and Virginia Tech, senior guard Tre Holloman continued to distinguish himself offensively for the Wolfpack even in an incredibly lopsided loss. The Michigan State transfer did his best to keep NC State in the fight with his scoring and finishing, although his 3-point shooting eluded him for the most part on Monday.

Holloman finished the night with 19 points, trailing only Lubin. He added three rebounds and made all four of his foul shots. While his production is a plus, it's not ideal when he is the go-to option from the perimeter offensively, signifying major issues for Quadir Copeland and Darrion Williams in the loss.

Freshman finds his footing

Freshman guard Matt Able was one of the few players who brought the urgency and energy NC State needed to the floor defensively, but it was far from impactful. The young guard finished the night with eight points, two steals and a team-high seven rebounds.

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