NC State vs Louisville basketball injuries and predictions, Mar. 12: Latest on DJ Horne, Dennis Parker and more

With Louisville and NC State ready to battle, the ACC Tournament is ready to roll.

It's time to check in on which players might not be ready. Injuries are always pivotal in basketball, and in March, they might be even more important than usual.

Both NC State (17-14, 9-11) and Louisville (8-23, 3-17) figure to be down some players. Here's a quick look at how that might impact the game.

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NC State vs Louisville basketball injuries

NC State's Dennis Parker could be key, if DJ Horne misses out.

DJ Horne, NC State

The Wolfpack's top scorer (16.8 ppg) is a game-time decision with a hip injury.

Horne injured himself in the Mar. 9 matchup with Pittsburgh, playing just 12 minutes. He has not missed a game all year, and his 43% 3-point shooting could be pivotal for State to get on any type of run.

Dennis Parker, NC State

Parker, a highly regarded freshman, missed the Pitt game with illness.

It's not clear yet if he will be back for this one. Parker is averaging 4.7 points and 3.2 rebounds per game and could be even more important if Horne is limited or unavailable.

LJ Thomas, NC State

Thomas may or may not be injured, but he was indicated to be "away from the team" and potentially unavailable for the Louisville game.

Thomas has played 12 games this season, with his last action coming on Feb. 3.

Hercy Miller, Louisville

Miller has been out since early February due to a hip injury. He had season-ending surgery on his injured hip. Before his injury, Miller had started three games and averaged 1.1 points per game.

JJ Traynor, Louisville

Like Miller, Traynor is out for the season. The promising senior (10.1 ppg) suffered a shoulder injury in December.

While trying to return to play, he aggravated the injury in practice, and in early January, he was ruled out for the rest of the year.

Dennis Evans, Louisville

A seven-foot-one freshman, Evans was also ruled out for the season after a shoulder injury. Before the injury, he started five games, averaging just 1.6 points and 0.7 rebounds per game.

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NC State vs. Louisville Prediction

While the injury to Horne could be a big deal, NC State might well elect to hold him out for this game.

Louisville is playing out the string of a hopeless season. NC State remains a 9.5 point favorite, even with its leading scorer possibly sitting the game out.

State needs at least one more win (against No. 7 seed Syracuse) to enter the NCAA Tournament discussion. With Horne potentially sitting, the under of 148.5 (-105) might be a good play.

Pick: NC State (-9.5), under 148.5 (-105).