Louisville is one of the top 10 programs in the history of college basketball, but are going through one of its most painful seasons.

New coach Kenny Payne, a former UL player and NBA first-round pick, are off to a brutal 2-10 start, with the two wins over Western Kentucky and Florida A&M in back-to-back games this month. The momentum was fleeting, with a 75-67 loss vs. Lipscomb this past Tuesday.

NC State hosts Louisville at 7 p.m. tonight on the ACC Network.

Louisville returned part-time starter Jae’lyn Withers in the post, and reserves Sydney Curry, a center, and point guard Elbert Ellis.

Withers played his first three years at Huntersville (N.C.) North Mecklenburg High, and Ellis is from Durham, N.C., and went to junior college before making the move to Louisville. NC State offered both players.

Where Louisville struggled was adding players last spring and summer. Sophomore center Brandon Huntley-Hatfield transferred in from Tennessee, Tennessee State guard transfer Hercy Miller, freshman wing Fabio Basili and freshman forward Devin Ree, a former LSU commit, were the offseason additions.

Rankings

Louisville is No. 346 in the NET rankings, and NC State is No. 42.

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Cardinals ranked No. 322 overall, and the Wolfpack are No. 47.

KenPom.com has Louisville at No. 253, and NCSU checks in at No. 49.

RealtimeRPI.com has Louisville ranked No. 280 in the country, and NC State is No. 79.

Shooting

Louisville is averaging 61.2 points per game, and are shooting 39.3 percent from the field, 31.3 percent on three-pointers and 75.4 percent from the free-throw line.

Junior JJ Traynor leads the squad at 41.7 percent on three-point shooting, and Ellis is a volume shooter, going 25 of 76 on three-pointers for 32.9 percent.

Rebounding

The Cardinals are averaging 32.5 rebounds per game, and are a minus-2.5 in rebounding margin.

Huntley-Hatfield leads the way with 5.8 rebounds per game, and Curry is right behind at 5.3. UL had 99 offensive rebounds with Huntley-Hatfield and Curry both grabbing 18 apiece.

Defense

Opposing teams average 73.3 points per game and are shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 33.1 percent on three-pointers.

Huntley-Hatfield has 10 blocks on the season, and Withers has a team-high 11 steals.

Depth

Louisville played three players off the bench against Lipscomb, with freshmen Kamari Lands and Basili, joined by Traynor. Both Lands and Traynor played 20 minutes or more.

Traynor is averaging 5.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in 21.9 minutes per game. Lands, who was ranked No. 90 in the country by Rivals.com in the class of 2022, chips in 5.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 18.8 minutes per game.

Louisville point guard Elbert Ellis leads the Cardinals in scoring and assists with 17.3 points and 4.5 dimes per game.

The Durham, N.C., native has had quite a journey to reach this stage. Ellis went to Kestrel Heights High for three years, and then Durham Mount Zion, where he reclassified into 2019. He finished up at Winston-Salem (N.C.) Quality Education Academy. He once had 36 points in the second half of the Josh Level Classic after his senior year.

Ellis signed with Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College, and he became a hot recruit. NC State offered him in mid-March 2020. He eventually picked Louisville and averaged 8.7 points and 1.6 assists in 20.5 minutes per game last year. He started nine out of 32 games.

With the attrition in the backcourt, the 6-foot-3, 180-pounder can play as many minutes as he can handle this season. He has played 40 minute in three games, and 39 in a fourth.

Ellis has scored at least 24 points in four games this season, with a season-high 30-point, 10-assist effort in the 94-83 win against Western Kentucky.

The streaky shooter is shooting 38.5 percent from the field and 32.9 percent on three-pointers.

NC State

PG — 1 Jarkel Joiner (6-1, 180, R-Sr., 16.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.3 spg)

SG — 0 Terquavion Smith (6-4, 165, Soph., 18.2 ppg, 3.8 rgp, 5.5 apg, 2.0 spg)

G — 14 Casey Morsell (6-3, 200, R-Jr., 13.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.3 spg)

PF — 5 Jack Clark (6-8, 200, R-Jr., 8.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.4 apg, 2.1 spg)

C — 30 D.J. Burns (6-9, 275, R-Jr., 8.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.2 apg)

Louisville

PG — 3 Elbert Ellis (6-3, 180, Sr., 17.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.5 apg)

SG — 1 Mike Jamers (6-5, 215, R-Fr., 6.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.9 apg)

F — 24 Jae'lyn Withers (6-9, 220, R-Jr., 8.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 0.9 apg)

PF — 5 Brandon Huntley-Hatfield (6-10, 250, Soph., 7.8 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.5 apg)

C — 21 Sydney Curry (6-8, 270, Sr., 4.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 0.1 apg)

5 Louisville players who were offered by NC State — Huntley-Hatfield, Elbert Ellis, Mike James, Jae'lyn Withers and Roosevelt Wheeler.

34 Blocks this season in 12 games, with Brandon Huntley-Hatfield getting 10 of them.

1,083 Career points by Louisville coach Kenny Payne with the Cardinals from 1985-89. he shot 40.1 percent from three-point land in his UL career.

Redshirt junior post player Jae’lyn Withers has seen a lot in his four years at Louisville.

Withers was ranked No. 103 overall in the class of 2019 coming out of Cleveland (Ohio) Cleveland Heights High. He played at Huntersville (N.C.) North Mecklenburg High his first three years, and NC State offered him April 20, 2017, which was his first high major offers and fifth offer overall.

The 6-9, 220-pounder, who is the son former Charlotte standout Curtis Withers, averaged 10.1 points and 7.7 rebounds in 2020-21, which has proven to be his best season thus far. He had three double-doubles for points and rebounds.

Withers is checking in at 8.6 points and 5.0 rebounds a contest this season, and he’s shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 38.2 percent on three-pointers.

Withers has cracked double figures in four games this season, with a season-high 17 points in the season-opening loss to Bellarmine on Nov. 9. He also had 15 points, 11 rebounds and five steals in the 73-72 loss vs. Wright State on Nov. 12.

Withers and Louisville didn’t get to play NC State in 2020-21. He had a combined three points and five rebounds in 20 minutes in two meetings against NCSU in 2021-22.

NC State power forward Jack Clark will likely get matched up against Withers. The La Salle transfer is averaging 8.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, and shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 27.1 percent on three-pointers.

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