How Chucky Hepburn performed in Louisville's NCAA Tournament first-round loss to Creighton
Wisconsin transfer guard Chucky Hepburn and the No. 8-seed Louisville Cardinals fell 89-75 to the No. 9-seed Creighton Bluejays in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
After orchestrating an improbable turnaround during the 2024-25 regular season, the Cardinals' season came to an abrupt end at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. Hepburn finished with 22 points, two rebounds and six assists off 9-of-23 from the floor and 2-of-8 from deep in what became the final game of his college career.
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the Bluejays essentially sealed the deal before intermission. Creighton built a 49-29 edge late in the frame. Hepburn did drop 18 of his 22 tallies in the opening stanza, although he didn't receive much help. Louisville would cut its deficit to 10 at one point in the second half, though Creighton's advantage proved too significant. Guard Jamiya Neal led the Blue Jays' winning effort, finishing with a game-high 29 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
Final | Louisville 75, Creighton 89#GoCards
— Louisville Men's Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) March 20, 2025
Hepburn finishes his career just 1-3 in three career NCAA Tournament appearances. With the Badgers, he dropped games to No. 11-seed Iowa State in the first round in 2022 and to No. 12-seed James Madison in the first round in 2024. His sole tournament victory with the Badgers came against No. 14-seed Colgate in 2022.
Still, Hepburn was fantastic during the final season of his college career. He averaged 16.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.4 steals in 34.4 minutes in 30 games of regular-season action. He was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and included on the All-ACC First Team at the season's end.
Louisville's first season under head coach Pat Kelsey comes to a disappointing close in the tournament's first round. Hepburn, out of eligibility, will now likely pursue playing opportunities at the next level.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin Basketball transfer Chucky Hepburn tournament loss stats
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