
Coming off the Cardinal’s win against UConn (76-64), Russ Smith adds AAC player of the week to the many highlights of his senior year as a Cardinal.
Smith, senior guard, averaged 20.5 points per game, shot 52.4 percent from the field, and scored 71.4 percent from the 3-point range in the Cardinal’s two games against Houston and UConn.
Reacting to the Cardinals’ win against UConn, “Everyone wants to win and everyone wants to do well. We're all one right now. We knew how important this game was and everybody focused in,” said Smith.
Smith, for the 91-52 win against Houston, put up 18 points Cardinals and held a 75 field goal percentage for his 24 minutes of play.
The Cardinals have come together as a team as the season goes on. Smith said after the UConn game, “We all need to be picked up sometimes. We do a great job of picking each other up.”
This award stands as the University of Louisville’s first American Athletic Conference men’s basketball Player of the Week honor. Smith, a Brooklyn native, made The American Athletic Conference’s honor roll five consecutive weeks and eight times total this season.