Former Molloy standout Russ Smith and the University of Louisville, Ky., Cardinals won this year’s NCAA men’s basketball championship April 8 with an 82-76 victory over the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.

Smith managed nine points on 3-of-16 shooting in the title game, but he played an integral role in getting his team to the championship game, scoring at least 21 points in the Cardinals’ previous five NCAA Tournament games.

The Brooklyn native led the CHSAA in scoring his junior and senior years at Molloy.

Smith has announced that he will forego his senior year at Louisville to enter this summer’s NBA Draft.