Former Louisville star making waves in new career after award-winning season

Montrezl Harrell makes an immediate impact in his first season in the Big 3.
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Former 2013 NCAA National Champion Montrezl Harrell joined the Big 3 this year, and in his rookie season, he quickly made an immediate impact. The former Louisville basketball star won the Rookie of the Year award in his dominant season with the Chicago Triplets.

Harrell went on to have a massive season in the Big 3, where he averaged 17.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting 52.7 percent from the field. Harrell's NBA career appears to be over after playing 10 seasons with six different teams, but his Big 3 career is off to a hot start.

Montrezl Harrell wins ROTY in the Big 3

The Big 3 is quickly becoming a league where elite NBA alums are playing, as Dwight Howard, Joe Johnson, Jordan Crawford, Michael Beasley, and many more are all competing. Harrell was one of the newer stars to join the league, and he quickly proved his worth.

Harrell's 143 points and 57 rebounds in eight games ranked No. 5 in the league, while his 58 field goals made ranked No. 3 in the league. He led the Chicago Triplets to a 6-2 record and clinched a playoff spot as the No. 1 seed.

When Harrell was with Louisville, he was named All-AAC and earned Most Improved Player of the Year in the AAC in 2013-14, and he earned All-ACC in 2014-15. In his 112 games played across three seasons, he averaged 11.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 59.2 percent from the field.

He, of course, was a crucial piece on Louisville's 2013 National Championship team after he played in 40 games and averaged 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 57.7 percent from the field.

He now will look to secure another championship, but this time in the Big 3 as he will take on the LA Riots in the first round of the playoffs tomorrow, August 17, on CBS.

Related: Louisville fans demand 2013 national title back after Michigan’s soft punishment

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