Louisville basketball played its last home game of the 2025-26 season in the KFC Yum! Center earlier this week as the Cardinals defeated Syracuse 77-62. The Cardinals shot 43 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc, and 80 percent from the free-throw line, despite not having star guard Mikel Brown Jr.
Tuesday’s win was much needed for Louisville as it snapped a two-game losing streak, and gave the Cards some much-needed confidence before heading back on the road for another game against a ranked team as they face No. 22 Miami. In the Cardinals' win over Syracuse, a former fan favorite was in the building, and when he revealed how long his travel day was, it truly showed just how special the culture of Louisville basketball is.
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Reyne Smith returns to KFC Yum! Center after a crazy travel day
Smith was one of the Cardinals' 12 additions from last season when Pat Kelsey took over as Louisville’s head coach. The elite shooter followed Kelsey from Charleston to Louisville, and he immediately became a fan favorite after he was one of the best sharpshooters in college basketball.
The love goes both ways, as the former Cardinal now lives back in Australia after playing for the Cairns Taipans of the National Basketball League, which means Smith traveled over 40 hours to Louisville to return for the final home game.
40*** landed at 6pm. Was never missing a chance to come back
— Reyne Smith (@reynesmith) March 4, 2026
Smith has made it clear all offseason how much he loves Louisville. The former Cardinal has followed Louisville all season, and when he was posted by the Cardinals' social media page, he quoted the tweet and stated, “Unlike any place in the world...new home across the world.”
Louisville fans loved to see Smith back in KFC Yum! Center, and the time he traveled just to come back for one game shows how special the culture at Louisville is. Pat Kelsey is building a special culture with the Cardinals, a culture that was missing under Kenny Payne.
Smith averaged 12.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists, while shooting 37.9 percent from downtown after splashing 107 3-pointers. Louisville takes on Miami Saturday inside Watsco Center at 2 p.m. local time.
Related: Louisville Cardinals' recent skid lets Kentucky jump them in the latest Bracketology
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.