Chucky Hepburn gets a lot of the center of attention for this Louisville basketball team, but the Cardinals glaring X-factor seems to be J'Vonne Hadley, and Hepburn agrees.
Cardinals picked up their 21st win of the season, as they improve to 21-6 on the year and 14-2 in ACC. UofL now tied the biggest turnaround in program history and swept multiple teams in the same year for the first time since 2017.
Chucky Hepburn led all scorers with 29 points and broke Louisville basketball single game free-throw record with 17 makes from the charity stripe, he also added five steals. However, the player of the game in the Cardinals 89-81 victory over Florida State seem to be J'Vonne Hadley, and Hepburn even called Hadley "the most underrated player" in college basketball.
Louisville basketball's glaring hidden gem
J'Vonne Hadley finished the game with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and shot the ball at an exceptional split, as he went 2-2 from beyond the arc, and 7-11 from the field.
Hadley is averaging 12.4 points a game, 7.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and shooting 52.2% from the field. The Cardinals forward is an absolute beast at playing bully basketball, and his ability to back defenders down and post up is what makes Hadley so hard to guard.
"I say this all the time, J'Vonne Hadley is probably the most underrated player in the country." Louisville basketball star, Chucky Hepburn stated. "He is not talked about enough. He does the little things, rebounding, guards one through five, and he is able to score, shoot threes, I love playing with him."
Offensively, Hadley has an uncanny skill for backing down defenders in the post, and using his big frame to establish position deep into the paint, and just use that bully-ball style of play, and get an easy bucket. His strength allows him to finish through contact and overwhelm smaller or less physical defenders, and is what makes him such a talented player.
The 6-foot-6, 215 pound guard out of Saint Paul, Minn, is not just a scorer, as his has the ability to guard the point guard through center and can dominate on both sides of the court. The blend of strength and skill with his powerful frame is why he has established himself as one of best two-way players in the league.
Fellow teammate, Terrence Edwards Jr. referred to Hadley as a "dawg" and they don't worry about his height because of how strong he is. He has the ability to lock down the opponents best player and use his physical body to contest shots, take away passing lanes, or disrupt the offensive rhythm.