IN-DEPTH PREVIEW: NC State vs. #6 Louisville

NC State Wolfpack vs. #6 Louisville Cardinals
Time: 2pm (2/1)
Location: Raleigh, NC
TV: ESPN
Line: Louisville -3.5

What to expect from Lousiville:
The Cardinals are sitting in 1st place in the ACC. They are 18-3 and winners of their last 7 games. Aside from their loss to Texas Tech earlier this season, Louisville has only dropped games to teams ranked in the Top 25. They lost back to back games to #19 Kentucky . and #18 Florida State.

This is a Louisville team that really relies on their frontcourt. They are anchored by junior Jordan Nwora. He is a 6’7 versatile wing that leads the team in scoring at 19.7ppg. And it’s not just about scoring for this kid. He’s also averaging 7.4 rebounds and 1 steal per game. He shoots 47% from the floor and an amazing 43..9% from 3pt range.

After Nwora, it’s 6’10 big man Steven Enoch who averages 10ppg and  6’5 forward Dwayne Sutton who averages 9.

From the guard position, Louisville doesn’t get much scoring, but 6’0 senior Ryan McMahon does average 8ppg while shooting 42.9% from 3pt range. Their guards are really more about pacing, distribution and knocking down open looks when defenses collapse.

What to expect from NC State
Anyone who told you they know what to expect from the Wolfpack would probably be lying. This NC State team has been very inconsistent, not just because of injuries and shooting woes,  but also because this team has had some strange energy lapses (most notably last Monday against UNC).

At the same time, you have to believe that the Pack is going to come out extremely focused and energized. They certainly have a bad taste in their mouth from Monday’s loss to rival UNC, but they are also welcoming the #6 team in the nation.

The hope is that Manny Bates has had 5 more days to recover and practice since his comeback against Carolina, and CJ Bryce has had a lot more time to rework whatever was wrong with him these past two games. If NC State is clicking on full power, then they are a tough team to beat, but as you’ll be able to see below, they’ll need to our-perform their averages in nearly every aspect of the game if they want to beat the Cardinals.

By the numbers…

PPG
Louisville; 75.3
NC State: 74.8

FG %
Louisville; 46.2
NC State: 44.8

3-pt%
Louisville; 39.1
NC State: 32

Rebounds
Louisville; 39.8
NC State: 36.3

Assists:
Louisville; 14.5
NC State: 13.5

Turnovers
Louisville: 12.4
NC State: 11.3