However checkered his basketball legacy, Rick Pitino remains a part of Big East history. The only coach to take two different schools to Big East titles, Pitino's teams were an extension of his personality--relentless, confident, and always prepared. He always seemed to excel with a player below the national radar, or in racing terms, the long shot.

Russ Smith was such a player, a story of redemption. After a injury-plagued freshman season, Smith looked to transfer, but in staying led the Louisville Cardinals to appearances in three consecutive Big East finals, winning championships in 2012 and 2013 and an NCAA national title as a junior.

Smith was a standout high school player at Archbishop Molloy HS in New York, leading the Stanners with a 29 point average as a senior, best in the city. But at 6-0 and 165 lbs., Smith was not heavily recruited and opted for prep school. On a visit to see another recruit, Louisville coaches saw something in in the shooting guard. Smith was so happy he tried to commit on the spot, but was told he had to visit the school first.

Smith's story at Louisville nearly ended before it began. A foot injury sidelined him much of the 2010-11 season, and by January, he was planning to quit the team. In a Jan. 26, 2011 game versus West Virginia that Smith planned to be his last before leaving for home, Smith was unexpectedly called into action.

"Coach Pitino came to me at the end of the bench and said, 'You're going in. Go out and play hard, because no one is playing hard right now,'" Smith said. The Cardinals rallied from 11 down in the final 12 minutes for the win. Smith decided that evening to stay with Louisville and kick-started a remarkable college career.

As a sophomore, Smith was the Cardinals' sixth man, averaging 11 points a game for the 2011-12 Big East champions. His play variously thrilled and frustrated Louisville fans, sometimes at the same time. Pitino called it "Russdiculous", a nickname that followed him through his years at Louisville. As Smith developed his defensive prowess, the scoring would follow, both of which came together in the 2012-13 season. He led the Cardinals in scoring en route to the 2013 Big East and NCAA championship, and ranked second in scoring, fourth in steals, and eight in free throw shooting in conference play. Cited by Sports Illustrated as having forced turnovers at a rate of one of every 12 opponent possessions, Smith's combination of defensive intensity and relentless shooting sent the Cardinals skyward in March.

In the Cardinals' final Big East Tournament, Smith scored 28 against Villanova in the quarterfinal and 20 versus Notre Dame in the semifinal. Facing Syracuse in the final, Louisville trailed by 13 at the half and by as many 16 in the second half before beginning a defensive rally that ranks among the most memorable in conference history.

The Cards kicked off its rally with a 10-0 run in just 1:34 of play, sparked by Smith's defense.

"Russ, when he got in the game, he kept telling us, we're going to press," said Louisville guard Peyton Siva. "[He said] we're going to press, we're just going to run and trap, run and trap, and Coach [Pitino] is like, no, you've got to do it in a smart way. For a minute there, we were running around the court with our head cut off."

Syracuse were held to six second half field goals as Louisville turned a 16 point deficit into an 17 point win, 78-61. The Cardinals' 56 second half points stunned the departing Orangemen, who were denied a title in their last season of Big East competition and marked their tenth defeat in 15 conference finals from 1980 to 2013.

Following the Big East split in 2013, Smith played his senior year in the American Athletic Conference as Louisville spent a season in the AAC before moving to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Smith finished his career as a consensus All-America selection, averaging 18.2 points per game on 47 percent shooting and a career high 172 assists. A John R. Wooden Award finalist, Smith was named the recipient of the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award, given to the nation's top player with a height of six feet and under. He ranks fifth all time in scoring at Louisville and first among all UL players since 2000.

A second round draft selection, Smith's height would limit his NBA potential. He played in just 27 games over two seasons as a backup with New Orleans and Memphis, scoring just 53 points. Despite scoring 65 points in an NBA developmental league game for the Delaware 87ers, Smith never saw a second call up, and is currently playing in China.