A PAIR of talented Australians are set to see some action during the NCAAM National Tournament, with Reyne Smith hopeful to suit up for the Louisville Cardinals, while Anthony Dell’Orso will be hitting the court for the Arizona Wildcats.

While the likes of Alex Condon and Tyrese Proctor have been dominating the spotlight thanks to heavy NBA Draft interest, Smith and Dell’Orso have still been honing their craft, albeit at new schools this year.

With both Arizona and Louisville among the heavy hitting sides this year, the spotlight will certainly be on the Aussie pair as they complete their respective senior campaigns.

Reyne Smith

Averages – 13.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.1 blocks

Smith is still putting up solid numbers despite the change of scenery, with the sharpshooter making the move from the Charleston Cougars alongside head coach Pat Kelsey, who has always rated the Australian and his ability.

Hailing from Ulverstone in Tasmania, Smith has forged a career through his impressive three-point shooting, which has again been his biggest strength in 2024/25. Prior to sustaining an injury late in the season, the guard was leading the ACC in three-pointers made and was ranked third overall in this category, also breaking the Louisville record for triples sank in a season.

He also erupted for 10 made three-pointers against the Mustangs, which was another school record and showed just how dangerous he can be if given the time and space. Although he is crucial to Louisville’s success, the wing missed the final game of the regular season through a lower leg injury, and the team is yet to confirm his involvement.

Smith has the ability to score off the dribble or immediately off the catch, making him the dream partner to a pass-first point guard. He holds his depth around the perimeter well, even if his man has sagged over to provide help defence. Smith instead maintains his position around the arc, and with a rapid-fire shooting motion, the defender simply does not have enough time to get back and contest the shot.

As is the case with any sharpshooter, Smith likes to get hot and stay hot, and his ability to knock down long-range bombs off the dribble gives him the ability to keep his rhythm, instead of being smothered off-ball by two defenders. He is as confident in his shot as ever, and this has shone through in the sheer volume of three-pointers this season, with Smith knocking down 106 triples to date.

Although the injury cloud is concerning, Smith certainly has the capability to play a big role if he does see some action, and looms as one of the best shooters in the tournament.

Anthony Dell’Orso

Averages – 7.5 points, 1.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.1 blocks

‘Delly’ made the move to the Wildcats from Campbell University, where he was the number one option and averaged close to 20 points a game in his sophomore season. Now at a much bigger school in his junior campaign, Dell’Orso’s output has understandably dropped, but he still can pop up for a crucial performance in the most important time of the year.

He was looking to use his time in Arizona as a stepping stone to the NBA, and while he is not quite in contention for a draft selection just yet, he still showed the ability to contribute despite a reduced role at his new side.

With senior Caleb Love taking much of the load on the offensive end by averaging 16.4 points per game, the Aussie was forced to take a step back, but he is still shoot 45 per cent from the field, and has been still able to hit the scoreboard.

At six-foot-six, he offers plenty of size for his position in the backcourt, and has the skillset of being able to score at all three levels. He is still a 40 per cent three-point shooter, which is the best efficiency of his career, so he is clearly adapting to being able to impact the game off-ball. Given his past performances at Campbell University, the runs are on the board, and he still could have a big say in Arizona’s March Madness campaign.