Yes as I recall the raised part of the hub (little 1.5 inch nipple looking part) faces the flywheel. The proper direction will be marked on the disc or stamped into the hub...frequently it was stamped into the hub.
If there's no rust and the clutch disc is installed the right way and the transmission shaft isn't hanging up in the pilot bushing, and you have the proper throwout bearing and linkage is adjusted correctly it really sounds to me like the pressure plate isn't being compressed enough to release or it has failed. When I was in high school I had a pressure plate fail, but I haven't had this problem since then. When the clutch pedal was depressed not all of the plate would release. The clutch disc would keep spinning consequently. When we removed it, you could see where the ring of spring fingers had been riveted to the pressure plate cover, one side of the assembly was lower than the other side. It had come loose at two of the rivets and it looked similar to this one:
https://tinyurl.com/ycy6auj5
