Russ Smith is currently ranked third on the CBSsports.com list of National Player of the Year Candidates after hitting the winning shot to push the University of Louisville basketball team past Cincinnati.
Ahead of him are Doug McDermott of Creighton, averaging 26 points and 6.9 rebounds per outing; and Jabari Parker of Duke, with his averages of 18.8 points and 8.9 rebounds.
Going into Thursday’s game against Temple, Smith was averaging 17.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game and the team leader in steals with 50 and three-point goals with 52 for the season.
If he scores 17 points against Temple, Smith will surpass Herb Crook as the ninth leading scorer in UofL history. Twenty-three points and he overtakes the consensus All-American Charlie Tyra. Going into the game, he has scored 1,707 points in his career. Crook had 1723, and Tyra had 1,728.
As CBSSports noted, “Look at where Smith is on this list, then remember that he was just a two-star recruit coming out of high school who only played 5.6 minutes per game as a freshman. He has developed nicely, huh?”
And Russ is far from done.
I had a chance to talk to former Louisville alum Pervous Ellison here’s what he had to say about the current Cardinal team http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rfitchnationalsports/2014/03/03/coast-to-coast-with-ron-fitch