It will be one more season of Russdiculousness for Cardinal fans.
Russ Smith has turned down the opportunity to put his name into the NBA Draft, and will return to U of L for one more season. The junior guard made the announcement during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
"I really realized how much I love playing with my teammates," Smith said. "I love to win. And with the group we have coming back, I want to come back as a winner, as well as graduate."
Smith was Louisville's leading scorer in 2012-13, averaging 18.7 points per game. He was at his best during the NCAA Tournament, where he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Midwest Region and shattered Darrell Griffith's school record for most points in a single tournament. Smith, who had previously set the U of L single-season steals record, also broke the Cardinal mark for most made free-throws in season.
I don't think I need to remind anyone of what this means, but just in case you'd forgotten...Louisville will now be returning three starters, including its leading scorer, from a team that just won the national title. Oh yeah, and captain/Final Four MVP Luke Hancock, Montrezl Harrell, Stephan Van Treese and a loaded recruiting class will also be in the fold.
Go crazy, folks.
We gon' be good.