NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of New York of last decade

2. Russ Smith – Louisville

A 6’0 guard from Brooklyn, Smith had himself a pretty successful and eventful collegiate career. A 3-star recruit and somewhat underrated prospect, Smith made his way to Louisville, arriving on campus in 2010 and not leaving until he was part of history with the Cardinals.

After a freshman year that saw him as a minor contributor, Smith found his way into the rotation as a sophomore, scoring 30 points in a rivalry game against Kentucky before scoring 19 to defeat Florida in the Elite Eight. He was a star in his final two collegiate seasons, with Louisville doing much more impressive things than the Final Four. Smith averaged at least 18 points per game in his final two seasons and helped the Cardinals to the national championship, scoring more than 20 points in five of the team’s six Tourney games.

Smith was a First Team All-American as a senior and won conference honors in both the Big East and AAC, where Louisville spent his senior season. He led both conferences in field goals in his final two seasons and also accumulated impressive assist and steals numbers at the back end of his career. Despite his size, he was a star on the court. He was drafted late in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft but has mostly continued his professional career overseas. Even though Louisville’s title was vacated, he can still boast about an impressive collegiate career.