Australia’s next great shooter making it 'Reyne'

• Reyne Smith shooting 40.8% from three-point range
• Transferred from the College of Charleston to NCAA powerhouse Louisville
• At 6'2", Reyne Smith has NBA range

There are shooters, and then there are snipers. Louisville’s Reyne Smith is distinctly the latter, and this season at Louisville has established himself as not just Australia’s most prolific up-and-coming marksmen, but arguably the best in all of college basketball.

A standout Tasmanian junior, Smith started his NCAA career at the College of Charleston in South Carolina, and across three seasons, cemented himself as one of the program’s best outside threats, finishing 2nd all-time for Charleston in made three-pointers (294) — beat out only by Andrew Goudelock, who had the benefit of completing all four of his years at the school.

Instead of finishing his career as a Charleston Cougar, Smith joined his Charleston coach Pat Kelsey in a move to Louisville for his senior year; a challenge that would see him have to prove his potency in the famed Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

There was never any doubt about Smith’s range or ability to knock down shots, but moving to one of college's strongest conferences would truly test Smith’s ability to impact games against future professional competition. Not only did he hold his own in this transition, but Smith is experiencing a career year, shooting 40.8% from behind the three-point line on a deadly 9.6 three-point attempts per game. His 3.9 made three-pointers per game are a first in all of college basketball.

At 6’2, getting his shot off requires Smith to exhibit true NBA range, while tirelessly whipping around off the ball and hoisting shots under a variety of situations and levels of pressure. His skills were on display at his absolute best this week against Southern Methodist University (SMU), where he hit a Louisville record 10 made three-pointers.

It’s a level of world-class shot-making rarely seen in the Australian landscape, and a skill set that should put him at a premium for NBL teams once his college career ends.

Let’s put Smith’s shooting into context by comparing him to a familiar NBL name — Adelaide 36ers' Dejan Vasiljevic.

Both are undersized guards with fantastic shooting range, here are their statistics side-by-side from their senior seasons in the ACC:

Both mesmerising shooters, these figures reveal the nuance between the two talents — Vasiljevic, a slightly more versatile on-ball scorer, and Smith being a (relatively) more deadly shooter on higher volume and efficiency.

Neither are necessarily better, or worse skill sets in a vacuum, with both being similar volume scorers, but Smith’s hyper-proclivity to focus on shooting the three-ball, it can be argued, maybe the superior complimentary weapon.

Across junior tournaments, it’s a skill set that made up one-half of a lethal combination with fellow Tasmanian Taran Armstrong, and at the pro level, there should be no question about his ability to co-exist with other ball-dominant talent. Smith does not need a single dribble to put up 15-20 points in any given game, and like a black hole, can passively create lanes for other scorers with his gravitational presence existing off the ball.

With Vasiljevic one of the NBL’s strongest outside shooters, it would seem fair to peg Smith as a chance to establish himself as one of the league’s most prolific shooters, in a rare echelon alongside the Gouldings and Cottons of the Australian game. Smith’s game also makes him a prime candidate for Boomers selection as a potentially elite foil to our more creation-oriented, shooting inept ball carriers.

When he gets that chance to prove himself down under might be the big question — as a 22-year-old, and with the NBA’s penchant for specialists, Smith may get the opportunity to prove himself on a two-way deal before exploring his international markets.

Five Fast Facts about Reyne Smith

1. Won back-to-back conference championships at College of Charleston
2. Had 23 career games at Charleston of at least five made threes and made at least 90 three-pointers in each of his three seasons
3. Named MVP of CAA Tournament after scoring 23 points in the championship game
4. Attended Australia's Centre of Excellence at the Australian Institute of Sport
5. Averaged 20.7 points, shooting 49.9% from deep in the 2020 Australian National Championships

About the Author

Michael Houben is an Australian basketball writer and scout based in Melbourne, Victoria. As well as covering the game as a journalist, Michael supports US colleges to identify and recruit Australian talent as the owner of Airtime Scouting, and supports grassroots athletes through Airtime Basketball.