LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville plans to retire the No. 2 jersey number of former All-America guard and fifth-highest scorer Russ Smith, who led the Cardinals to the 2013 NCAA men’s basketball championship that was later vacated.
Smith’s jersey will be retired at halftime of Louisville’s game against Notre Dame on Jan. 22. His number will be the program’s fifth retired, joining those of Charlie Tyra (8), Naismith Memorial Hall of Famer Wes Unseld (31), Darrell Griffith (35) and Pervis Ellison (42).
Sophomore forward Sam Bearden currently wears No. 2, which won’t be worn after this season.
The 6-foot Brooklyn, New York, native nicknamed “Russdiculous” is Louisville’s only player with at least 1,800 career points, 350 assists and 250 steals. Smith is the Cardinals’ career leader with 257 steals and ranks second all time with 488 made free throws, is fifth with 1,908 points and tied for ninth with 180 3-pointers. He averaged at least 18 points per game both of his final two seasons and 14.3 in his career (2010-14).
Smith’s collegiate honors included consensus All-America selections as a senior. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2013 NCAA Midwest Regional after scoring 31 points against Oregon and 23 against Duke. Louisville reached two NCAA Final Fours, won two Big East tournament championships and the 2014 American Athletic Conference title behind Smith’s prolific scoring.