“I’AM LEAVING” Tyler Shough has announced that he is leaving the Louisville today due to………Read More…..

These are players who could have done big things and played unlimited minutes if they had stayed at their previous addresses.

But they didn’t.

Smith followed his coach, Pat Kelsey, to Louisville. Hepburn and Hadley made the same move, one from the Big Ten, the other from the Pac 12.

Was Name/Image/Likeness a factor?

I’m sure it was. I’m also sure it is in every college transfer situation that unfolds. Welcome to 2024.

But in their first conversation with the local media on Thursday, the most intriguing thing that Smith, Hadley and Hepburn said about their choices to join a sagging Louisville program was this:

All three are guys with one remaining season of college basketball. They didn’t come to Louisville to be part of a two- or four-year rebuilding plan.

They’ve got one shot at Kentucky, one shot in the Atlantic Coast Conference and one shot in the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s a very mature team,” Smith said. “Most of us have one year left. You kind of get this vibe that everybody’s in it to win and that’s the most important thing.

“We’ve all got one year. This is it for all of us. We want to make a run in the NCAA Tournament. That’s kind of the goal in mind throughout every work out and every day.”

“It’s been amazing,” Hadley said. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, especially because a lot of us only have one year here.

“The energy has been one of a kind. I’ve played four years in college and this is the type of energy that I haven’t experienced yet. So I’m grateful for this energy and I’m grateful to be here with everybody.”

“Everybody in this locker room here, they just want to play basketball,” Hepburn said.