LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Before his debut with the Louisville men’s basketball team, Reyne Smith gained valuable international experience recently.
Over the past weekend, the transfer guard from Charleston participated in the 2024 Nissay Cup, a two-game exhibition series held in Hokkaido, Japan, between Australia Select and the Japanese National Team. Australia Select comprises emerging prospects, collegiate players, and NBL athletes from Australia.
A native of Ulverstone, Australia, Smith performed well for his national team in the event. In the first game, he contributed six points off the bench in a narrow 90-89 victory. In the second game, he recorded seven points along with a rebound, an assist, and a steal in a 95-95 tie.
Among the 12-man roster of Australia Select, Smith’s total of 13 points across both games ranked seventh highest. Sam Froling led the team with 32 points over the series. In the coming days and weeks, select players from the squad will attend training camp for the Australian National Team in preparation for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 190 pounds, Smith excelled as a shooting guard for Charleston this past season. He played in all 35 games, starting 28, and led the team with an average of 12.8 points per game while also contributing 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists. His performance earned him All-CAA Second Team honors.
Known for his three-point shooting prowess, Smith made 39.4 percent of his shots from beyond the arc and 41.0 percent of his field goals overall last season. A significant majority of his scoring came from three-pointers, with 112 of his 133 made field goals and 284 of his 324 attempts being three-point shots.
Throughout his collegiate career spanning three seasons at Charleston, Smith has been consistently productive. In 102 games and 89 starts, he has amassed 1,212 points, 294 made three-pointers, 192 rebounds, 149 assists, and 68 steals.
Smith is among the 12 transfers joining Louisville for the inaugural season under head coach Pat Kelsey, and one of 13 new additions to the team overall.
