NC State Runs Into a Buzzsaw at Louisville: What Went Wrong in the Wolfpack’s 41-Point Loss
LOUISVILLE - NC State entered Monday night riding high-a six-game win streak, an unbeaten mark on the road in ACC play, and the kind of momentum that makes you start thinking about March. But all of that came to a screeching halt at the KFC Yum! Center, where Louisville handed the Wolfpack a 118-77 loss that was every bit as lopsided as the score suggests.
This wasn’t just a bad night. It was a historic one-and not in the way NC State would like to remember.
The Cardinals hit 18 threes, the most ever surrendered by a Wolfpack defense, and the 118 points allowed marked the second-highest total given up in program history. Only Maryland’s 124-point outburst in 1978 tops it.
The Pack gave up a season’s worth of defensive lapses in 40 minutes.
Let’s break down what happened in Louisville, how it unraveled so quickly, and where NC State goes from here.
Mikel Brown Jr. Steals the Spotlight
Louisville’s Ryan Conwell has been a steady force all season, and his 31-point night would normally headline a performance like this. But make no mistake-this game belonged to freshman Mikel Brown Jr.
Brown Jr. torched NC State for 45 points on 14-of-23 shooting, including a blistering 10-of-16 from deep. That’s not just a breakout game-that’s a statement.
Coming into the night, Brown had made just nine threes in five ACC games and was shooting under 25% from beyond the arc in his last four outings. But against NC State, he found his rhythm early and never let up, burying five threes in each half.
And he didn’t just score. Brown also led the Cards with nine rebounds, chipped in two assists, and added three steals.
He and Conwell combined for 15 made threes-on 22 attempts. That’s more than triple what NC State managed from deep, despite attempting the same number of threes as a team (22).
Sometimes a player just catches fire, and Monday night, Brown Jr. burned the Wolfpack to the ground.
Outshot, Outmuscled, Outplayed
Louisville didn’t just win this game-they dominated every phase of it. From the opening tip, the Cardinals looked faster, stronger, and more locked in.
They jumped out to a double-digit lead before the first media timeout and never looked back. By halftime, they were up 20.
Four minutes into the second half, the lead had ballooned to 35. And the final margin?
A jaw-dropping 41 points.
The Wolfpack couldn’t keep up from the perimeter, shooting just 4-of-22 from three (18.2%). Paul McNeil, Quadir Copeland, Darrion Williams, and Tre Holloman combined to go 3-of-16 from deep. That’s a far cry from the kind of perimeter shooting that’s fueled their ACC success this season.
And it wasn’t just the shooting. NC State got bullied on the boards, losing the rebounding battle 42-28.
The Pack managed just six offensive rebounds on 40 missed shots. That’s not going to cut it in any game, let alone one where your opponent is lighting it up from deep.
Ball movement was another sore spot. Louisville dished out 21 assists, while NC State managed just 10.
Copeland, fresh off earning ACC Player of the Week honors, had three assists to four turnovers in 21 minutes. It was a night where nothing clicked-and everything unraveled.
A Gut Check, Not a Season-Definer
Losses like this sting. There’s no sugarcoating a 41-point drubbing.
But in the context of the season, it’s still just one loss. NC State drops to 9-3 in ACC play and remains well above .500 overall.
This is a Quad 1 loss on the road, and while the margin is ugly, the resume impact is more about how the team responds than what happened Monday night.
Head coach Will Wade didn’t mince words after the game.
“We got whipped. So there’s no two ways about that,” Wade said.
“We’re gonna be judged on how we respond. Our team’s responded all year.
I told the guys afterwards I still believe in them. We had a major setback.
I thought we were beyond these type performances. I thought we had kind of grown past this, but we hadn’t.”
Wade’s message was clear: this can’t turn into two losses. Because the schedule isn’t getting easier.
What’s Next: A Crucial Stretch Ahead
The Wolfpack return home to face a Miami team that’s quietly putting together a strong ACC campaign. The Hurricanes are 7-3 in league play and 5-1 on the road. That’s not exactly the ideal opponent for a bounce-back game, but it’s the one NC State gets.
And after that? It’s a brutal two-game stretch: hosting No.
11 North Carolina, then heading to Charlottesville to face No. 15 Virginia.
If NC State wants to stay in the hunt for a double bye in the ACC Tournament-or keep climbing the NCAA Tournament seeding ladder-this next week is critical.
The Louisville loss was a reality check. Now we find out how this Wolfpack team handles adversity.
Because if they let this one linger, things could spiral quickly. But if they respond like Wade believes they can, Monday might just be the low point that sets the stage for a strong finish.