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Australian basketball player Reyne Smith, known for his 3-point shooting and toughness, worked out with the Phoenix Suns ahead of the NBA Draft.Smith, who played college basketball at Charleston and Louisville, showcased his shooting prowess and defensive abilities during the workout.
Reyne Smith can shoot the lights out from 3, but basketball wasn’t even his first sport.
From Ulverstone, Australia, Smith grew up playing rugged Australian rules football.
No wonder he’ll dive face first for loose and 50-50 balls without hesitation.
“I don’t think too much about it,” Smith said. “I see a ball on the ground, I need to get it. I’m not scared to get a little court burn here and there. Growing up and playing Australian rules football as a kid, you kind of learn how to take hits and dive for a ball. That kind of built some toughness. My mom would probably kill me if I didn’t dive for a loose ball.”
Louisville coach Pat Kelsey was almost as demanding as mom.
“He would also eat me alive if there was a loose ball and we didn’t get it,” Smith said. “It was just engrained in me. Just an attitude and effort thing and not being scared to get a little court burn or get hit every now and then.”
Almost.
“It’s funny looking back, we’re playing on a Sunday morning,” Smith said. “You get hit and you’re on the ground and you’ve got your parents on the sidelines screaming at you to get back up. Kind of how you’re raised. You get hit, get straight back up and keep going.”
Smith had a pre-draft workout on Wednesday, June 18, with the Phoenix Suns. It was his first visit to an NBA team and last scheduled one ahead of the June 25-26 NBA Draft in Brooklyn.
“It was really cool,” Smith said. “I really cool to be in that environment. Just kind of competing at that level and seeing that life and things like that. It was a really cool experience. Phoenix is great. It was good things. Just for myself, it was fun. It was tough. It’s how I expected a workout to be.”
A career 37.3% shooter from 3 in college, Smith felt he performed well in the workout despite it being his first one with an NBA team.
Smith worked his way back from high right-ankle injury initially suffered March 5 against Cal his senior year at Louisville. He re-aggravated it in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“You’re a little excited and you can get a little sped up,” said Smith, who made 401 career 3s in college. He hit a school-record 10 in a 30-point game to lead Louisville past SMU.
“Definitely had moments, but had some good moments, too, and just focused on being a good teammate and good body language and encouraging other guys.”
Smith said Mississippi guard Sean Pedulla also competed in the workout as those two played against each other in college. Smith was at College of Charleston when facing Pedulla, who was at Virginia Tech at the time during the 2022-23 season.
Smith scored 10 points in helping College of Charleston upset the Hokies, 77-75. Pedulla finished with 17 points.
This past season, Pedulla wound up on the winning side, scoring 16 points in Mississippi’s 86-63 road victory. Smith scored just eight points on 3-of-10 shooting.
They met again Wednesday in Phoenix as Smith looked to show in the workout what he can bring to an NBA team. Smith averaged a career-high 13.1 points this past season for the Cardinals.
“First of all, shooting,” Smith said. “I’d put myself up there in any gym around the world being one of the better shooters that I can provide immediately. Using my IQ and understanding of not only myself and my game and playing to my strengths, but understanding those around me.”
Smith was able to get a workout with the Suns through his agent as he’s with Gresh Sports.
“Just being an unselfish teammate,” he continued. “Leader. Communicating out there and wanted to continue to prove that I can guard at an NBA level and in NBA spacing. Those are the kind of things I see myself being able to provide.”
Cloudy with a chance of eight three-balls.
Aussie sharpshooter @reynesmith made it RAIN in Italy to close out the 2025 @adidasHoops Eurocamp.
Smith dropped 28 points including 8/13 from deep in his team’s 109-73 win, and all head coach Dave Joerger could do was 🤷🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/kTl8Sg0jfF
— basketball.com.au (@bouncepassau) June 3, 2025
Kelsey called Reyne “a winner,” saying he’s like another assistant coach.
“Cat’s a winner,” Kelsey said during a press conference this season. “People mistake sometimes, they think he’s like, Skip Prosser used to call them suburban jump shooters. That’s not Reyne. Like, that’s his deal and he shoots the blood out of the ball, but he’s tough as nails. He’s on every single scouting report. He’s exactly where he needs to be at all times. … He’s selfless. He’s a team dude.”
The ankle injury sidelined Smith four games with three from the ACC Tournament as Louisville lost to top-ranked Duke in the conference championship game.
Smith returned to play in the NCAA Tournament, but he scored only five points and re-aggravated the ankle injury with 11:37 left in Louisville’s first-round loss to Creighton.
“Our heart goes out to Reyne,” Louisville wing Terrence Edwards Jr. said after the game. “We knew he wasn’t 100 percent, but what he did today is something I’ll remember forever. He sacrificed his body and put his body on the line tonight for us, so we could try to come out with the win. He knew how much we needed him.”
Louisville was an eighth seed while Creighton was seeded ninth.
“I’m just so proud of him, and he’ll get back right for sure,” Edwards continued. “What he did for us today is something that will go a long way outside of basketball.”
Smith said he was able to get back to playing basketball again at the end of last month. He then traveled to Italy for an Adidas EuroCamp and put on a show, nailing 8-of-13 from 3 in a 28-point effort to lead his team to victory.
“Just about every NBA scout was out there,” Smith said. “It was plenty of eyes on that.”
He returned to the United States and continued to rehab his ankle before going to Las Vegas to workout at Impact, a training facility.
Phoenix was Smith’s next stop.
Smith spent his first three collegiate years at College of Charleston before transferring to Louisville. He feels playing in the ACC has prepared him for an NBA opportunity.
“Coming up to the high, major level, you face a lot better athletes all around,” Smith said. “Some of the best players in the country. Just knowing that I can hold my own and perform really well against some of the best players in the country. Just gives me confidence to continue to go up levels and continue to prove I can play at each level I play at.”
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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