Chucky Hepburn exited the game early in the second half in Louisville basketball's 26 point win over Boston College on Wednesday night.
Hepburn was just announced by Jeff Goodman that he will be out for today's game against the Miami Hurricanes with a groin injury. Pat Kelsey's squad currently sits in second place in the ACC with a 10-2 conference record and a 17-6 overall record.
While this Louisville basketball team needs Chucky Hepburn for a deep March Madness run, last win showed Pat Kelsey that his team is one of the more balanced teams in the nation, and can overcome adversity.
All five starters scored for Louisville in last Cardinals win, and six of the nine players who saw action connected on a deep ball. Cardinals have five players averaging 10 or more points per game, and in win over Boston College, Pat Kelsey, saw J'Vonne Hadley, Terrence Edwards Jr, and Aboubacar Traore all step up big time to secure the win.
If Louisville basketball wants to continue their dominant streak, they must see these five players step up while Chucky Hepburn is sidelined.
5 Louisville basketball players who must step up after Chucky Hepburn's injury
5. J'Vonne Hadley
J'Vonne Hadley was excellent during Hepburn's absence last game, and UofL not only has to feed him ball to score for the Cardinals, but he now will be Pat Kelsey's lockdown defender.
In the last game that Hepburn missed, Hadley had 22 points and 4 rebounds that game while shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 2-2 from beyond the arc. Cardinals are going to need more of this, and Hadley already gets touched often with Hepburn in the lineup, and he is now only going to get more touches with Hepburn out of the lineup.
4. Terrence Edwards Jr,
Terrence Edwards Jr. has been excellent this past month, as he has scored 14 points or more in six of his last seven games. Edwards is 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, and likes to attack the defense and post the other team guards up on the block. There will be more weight on his shoulders while Hepburn is sidelined for the future, and Pat Kelsey and Louisville basketball are going to need a lot out of him not just to score but to find the opening teammate.
With Hepburn sidelined someone will have to create space, and drive and kick the ball to the open shooters. Hepburn leads the ACC in assists per game with 6.2, which means someone will have to distribute the ball with Chucky out, and Edwards will have to be that x-factor.
3. Noah Waterman
Noah Waterman will likely get a chance to increase his rotation minutes with Hepburn out of the lineup, and this could be a chance to prove to Pat Kelsey that he belongs in the lineup moving forward. Waterman broke his right thumb on Dec. 21 in a win over Florida State. Waterman has shown flashes of potential, as he had three consecutive games of 12 or more points back in December.
Louisville will need his scoring surges to come back, and if he can be more consistent from the three-ball, and hit open shots, Pat Kelsey and fans will be extremely happy.
2. James Scott
James Scott is a 6-foot-11. 220 pound forward out of Fayetteville, N.C. and will need his role and numbers on the offensive side to increase. Scott has had some great moments this season, including season high 16 points in win over SMU, but he's also had some disappointing games.
His ability to succeed with Hepburn out is going to be put to the test, and UofL is going to need way more out of him than what we have seen over the last three games. He has scored just 16 points in 82 minutes over the last three games, and they'll need him to play like he did in early January. He scored 11 points or more in the five of eight games in January, including a three game stretch, where he scored 10, 12, and 16 in three consecutive games.
1. Reyne Smith
Smith hit four threes against Wake Forest in the Cardinals 72-59 win, but in last two games he shot the deep ball 3-14. Smith could get some more touches and shots and be used early with Hepburn out. Edwards and Hadley will have to drive and kick and utilize one of the nation's top three-point shooters.
Smith has been elite in December, and Pat Kelsey will likely lean on him more as he tries to find his stroke back. Smith who is lethal from deep, as he is shooting from beyond the arc at 40%, and has made 83 threes this season. He averages 3.8 threes per game which ranks third in the nation.