Louisville basketball is on the brink of history and might be cutting the ropes down for the first time since joining the ACC.
The Cardinals have never won the ACC Tournament Championship. Louisville has never even been to the game before this year. Pat Kelsy is in his first year of coaching at Louisville, and Kelsy already has secured the most ACC Tournament wins as a Louisville basketball coach.
The Cardinals are led by 12 transfers, including their two All-ACC guards in Chucky Hepburn and Terrence Edwards Jr. Louisville basketball fans know that those two guards will combine for nearly 40 points and keep the Cardinals in the game. However, the third option must step up.
J'Vonne Hadley proved last night he can be that third option, but in the matchup vs Duke, this undeniable x-factor will make or break Louisville basketball's fate vs Duke.
This undeniable x-factor will make or break Louisville basketball's fate vs Duke
It is unclear if he is set to play today, but the Cardinals need him to if they want to beat the No. 1 seed Duke. Reyne Smith has the potential to make or break the Cardinal's ACC Tournament chances. Louisville basketball needs him to play to win the ACC Tournament, as Smith is a valuable piece to this Cardinals offense.
Smith averages 13.4 points per game, with 3.5 threes a game while shooting 38.3 percent from downtown. The Cardinals lethal shooter has been told he will always have a bright green light from beyond the arc, and he should as he is one of the best in the nation.
The key to winning tonight's game is shooting the ball nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc, and Louisville has a chance at that only if its sharpshooter is available. Smith has made 104 threes in the season and is in the top five for the nation in terms of total threes and threes made per game. The ability to catch off a pass, a curl, or a flare makes this transfer from Charleston so unique.
He has made a program record of 10 threes in a game and has shown multiple times this year that he can be that third option of a scorer. His 104 threes this season are the second-most made threes in program history. The Cardinals are the only program this year to have four players score 30 points or more in four games. Smith was one of those four players, and he makes this team better when he is on the floor.
He makes the Cardinals space out the floor, and when he is on the court, the defense has to address his presence, leaving Hepburn and Edwards available to play more freely and either create a shot for themselves or find Smith open from beyond the arc.
When Duke lost this season, the Blue Devils' opponents averaged 42.7 percent from downtown. Louisville, on the other hand, averages nearly 10 made buckets from downtown a game and shoots almost 30 a game, both of which are toward the top of the ACC and the country. Reyne Smith is a big reason for that. Duke's glaring weakness is giving up runs and shots from the three-point line. If Smith can play, he will be a key reason Louisville basketball can pull off this upset.
It would make sense to limit Smith in tonight's matchup to ensure he is fully rested for the Cardinals' NCAA Tournament run. However, a win tonight would make history and skyrocket Louisville's seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Reyne Smith availability is crucial to the Cardinals chances of securing their first ACC Tournament title.