College of Charleston didn’t just lose its head basketball coach on Wednesday, the team will be without its leading scorer next season as sharp shooting guard Reyne Smith entered the transfer portal, according to reports.
Cougars head coach Pat Kelsey reportedly has agreed in principle to a five-year deal on March 27 that will make him the next coach at Louisville.
Smith was one of Kelsey’s first recruits that he brought to the Lowcountry. Smith averaged a team-high 12.8 points a game this season and made a team-high 112 3-pointers in leading the Cougars to a 27-8 record and a Coastal Athletic Association title and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Smith set a single-game school record with 10 threes in a 96-73 victory over Campbell during the regular season.
Over the last 72 hours, a half-dozen players have left the program via the transfer portal.
Starting forwards Ante Brzovic and Ben Burnham were the first players to enter the portal earlier this week.
Redshirt freshmen guards Jordan Crawford and Khalil London entered the transfer portal on Wednesday, along with reserve guard Evan Kilminster.
In three seasons with the Cougars, Burnham averaged 9.5 points and 4.2 rebounds a game.
Burnham had his best season in a Cougars uniform this year as the Rock Hill native was third on the team in scoring, averaging a career-high 11.9 points and 4.5 rebounds a game.
Brzovic, a 6-10 forward from Croatia, averaged 12.1 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Brzovic transferred to Charleston before last season from Division II Southeastern Oklahoma State, where he averaged 17.8 points as a freshman. Last season for the Cougars, he scored 11.6 points per game and averaged 5.9 rebounds for a 31-4 team.
