Former Wisconsin guard Chucky Hepburn had a terrific outing in Louisville’s 83-70 win over North Carolina on Wednesday.
The veteran point guard tallied a game-high 26 points, seven assists and two rebounds on five-for-eight shooting and a 16-for-20 effort from the free-throw line. That performance led the Cardinals to their ninth win of the season, this one over a high-profile conference opponent.
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Hepburn excelled with the game in the balance. Louisville led 70-69 with three minutes remaining. The former Badger star led the team on a 12-0 run by scoring seven points and assisting on five more, single-handedly deciding the contest.
The performance continues Hepburn’s stellar stretch dating to the start of December. During those seven games, he is averaging 17.2 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals on 42% shooting. This has brought his season averages to 15.9 points, 5.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds on 47.4% shooting — all numbers that would set career highs.
BALLED OUT 🏀👑@ChuckyHepburn carried the Cardinals to a win over the Tar Heels, scoring 26 points shooting 5-8 from the field, and 16-20 from the free throw line while adding seven assists and two rebounds@LouisvilleMBB | @GoCards | #GoCards pic.twitter.com/JTOQ6v9sPZ
— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) January 2, 2025
Hepburn is excelling at Louisville while fellow transfer A.J. Storr is struggling to find his footing at Kansas. While Hepburn is on pace to set career highs in every statistical category, Storr is posting career-lows across the board. He’s averaging 7.3 points and 1.9 rebounds on 39.8% shooting. Those tallies have dipped after he totaled just 13 points and 10 rebounds over the last four games.
The play of Wisconsin’s two star transfers continues to be noteworthy. Wisconsin’s three-game losing streak to Michigan, No. 22 Illinois and No. 8 Marquette made it hard to argue against Hepburn being missed. His breakout as one of the best point guards in the country enforces that reality.
The Badgers have received strong play from starting guard John Blackwell (14.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists on 48% shooting) to start the season as senior Max Klesmit (11.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists on 32% shooting) has struggled to find his shooting stroke. The Badgers’ biggest weakness exists on the glass and in the front-court. The team currently is No. 126 in rebound rate (51.4%). Hepburn would have provided a significant boost for the former, but not necessarily for the latter.
Wisconsin returns to the court on Jan. 3 against Iowa. The team’s backcourt play will continue to be watched closely as Hepburn continues his dominance.
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