Louisville Basketball: Top 15 players to ever play for legend coach Denny Crum
By Joey Loose
9. Derek Smith
Standing at 6’6 and a former star in Hogansville, Georgia, Smith headed to Louisville in the late 70’s and was a key component of that championship team in 1980. An impactful guard for four seasons with the Cardinals, Smith is widely remembered for his role in that title and his other contributions to basketball along the way.
A role player as a freshman, he took major steps forward as a sophomore, averaging 14.8 points and 8.3 rebounds on Louisville’s championship-winning team, including a double-double in their Elite Eight win over LSU. The following season, Smith was named Metro Player of the Year, and he made 59% of his field goals as a senior, with impressive scoring numbers in both upperclassman seasons.
It is with great sadness, we learn of the loss of our beloved Hall of Fame family member, Denny Crum.
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) May 9, 2023
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Susan, his family and to all that knew and loved him. A truly inspirational coach who had an immeasurable positive impact on so many… pic.twitter.com/6WCakPImsU
Smith became a second-round pick of the Golden State Warriors in 1982 and spent nearly a decade in the NBA, averaging more than 22 points a game in multiple seasons with the Clippers. He was briefly an assistant with the Washington Bullets after his retirement but sadly passed away after suffering a heart attack on a cruise ship in 1996. His legacy lives on, and he still sits 3rd in field goal percentage and 7th in points among Louisville’s career leaders.