Pat Kelsey’s name quickly surfaced as a strong contender for the head coaching role at the University of Louisville after Charleston’s loss to Alabama in the NCAA Tournament. Shortly after Kelsey’s appointment as head coach last Thursday, Charleston’s top scorer, senior guard Reyne Smith, wasted no time in announcing his transfer to Louisville for his final season, marking the first commitment of the Kelsey era at U of L.
It was way too good of an opportunity for me to even think about anything else,” Smith told Cardinal Authority.
The 6-foot-2 Smith, a native of Ulverstone, Australia, started 89 games in three seasons at Charleston. He finished as a double-figure scorer in each of those seasons, holding a career average of 11.9 points a game. He averaged 12.8 points this season and scored 13 points in the NCAA game against Alabama.
Him wanting me to be that first commitment for him, obviously meant a lot with the trust he has in me,” said Smith, who committed to Kelsey when he was still at Winthrop and followed him to Charleston. “Especially with what we have been through the last three years together. It was definitely a feel-good moment to be going with him, especially going to the highest level of basketball in the ACC.”
Smith learned about the possibility of Kelsey heading to Louisville while vacationing in Las Vegas with his family last week.
