Former Louisville basketball fan favorite Reyne Smith is heading back to his home country as he signs a two-year deal with the Cairns Taipans, per ESPN's Olgun Uluc. Smith's update is well-deserved, as he proved in his four seasons of collegiate basketball that he is one of the best shooters in the world.
The sharpshooter is native to Ulverstone, Australia, and will now immediately emerge as one of the best shooters in the National Basketball League. While Smith had dreams of playing in the NBA or the NBA G League, it is clear that he will gel and flourish with the Taipans next season.
Smith has consistently displayed elite catch-and-shoot shooting ability for four straight seasons. He can take over games with his shooting, and it was seen last year when he splashed 10 3-pointers in one game against SMU, setting a Louisville basketball record.
He now turns the page to the next chapter of his career, and he should have plenty of motivation to play in the NBL and his home country, as well as to prove he deserves an NBA G League contract.
Related: Former Louisville star's late Summer League explosion might have saved his NBA dream
Former Louisville basketball sharpshooter signs two-year deal with Cairns Taipans
Smith is coming off an underwhelming and disappointing NBA Summer League performance, having played only one game. The Australian sharpshooter only got 26 minutes in five games while he played with Denver, but he tried to make the most of it.
Smith splashed five 3-pointers and scored 17 points off the bench for the Nuggets in their Summer League finale game. The Washington Wizards then approached him to play for them later that night, and being a hard worker, he, of course, did.
While he might not have gotten the NBA Summer League experience he was hoping for, he saved his career with his brilliant performance in that last game. He made the absolute most out of what he was handed, and Pat Kelsey went on X and let the whole world know, "He can play in any league in the world."
Smith splashed 401 3-pointers in college and is coming off his best collegiate season, where he splashed 107 3-pointers with the Cardinals, etching his name into the program history books. He averaged 3.5 3-pointers made per game last season, which made him one of the best 3-pointer shooters in college basketball.
It comes as no surprise that Smith quickly earned a contract overseas, as he deserves it. He is one of the hardest workers from Kelsey's squad last season and loves the game he plays. In college, he ended his career with 1,618 points, 294 made threes, 303 rebounds, 173 assists, and 88 steals.
Related: Former Louisville stars watch their NBA dreams crumble right before their eyes
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