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Come Fan with UsWednesday, August 5, 2026

Russ Smith’s NBA draft decision might come Wednesday

As the deadline approaches, the Louisville Cardinal star told reporters he is losing sleep over his NBA draft decision, which he hopes to make on Wednesday.

USA TODAY Sports

Louisville Cardinal guard Russ Smith said he hopes to decide by Wednesday whether he will enter the NBA draft, Eric Crawford with WDRB reported on Monday.

The junior guard helped lead the Cardinals to the NCAA Championship this year, and although he didn't have the finest of performances in the title game against the Michigan Wolverines, Smith had a fantastic run through the tournament, averaging 22.3 points per game.

Smith has remained non-committal about the affair since his father told reporters right after the title win that his son was going pro. And he has until Sunday, April 28 to make a decision to enter the NBA Draft.

Speaking with reporters on Monday, Smith said he has been losing sleep over the decision and wants to wait until he meets with coach Rick Pitino before making the decision.

Various outlets are reporting that Smith isn’t considered a first-round lock, and might have done all he could to boost his draft stock this year.

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