Three Cheers for Three-Point Ace

Reyne Smith has a perfect way of explaining Charleston to his friends in Australia. He tells them that he lives in the place where the Netflix series Outer Banks is filmed.  

“That’s how I tell people at home where I am now,” he says with a smile.  

It is understandable why Smith was not always familiar with the Lowcountry. Not only is it over 9,800 miles from his hometown of Ulverstone in Tasmania, but he never expected to play basketball in Charleston. 

When he was a senior at the Australian Institute of Sport, he accepted an offer to play basketball for Pat Kelsey, who was still at Winthrop University. For eight months, Smith was planning to spend his college career in Rock Hill, S.C., playing for the Winthrop Eagles.  

His plans changed when Kelsey was named head coach of the College of Charleston in March of 2021. Smith decided to follow him.

“The coaching staff just had a great history of winning,” remembers Smith. “I knew that the coach’s style of play would help me to become a better player, so there was no hesitation for me to go to Charleston.”

The switch was beneficial for both Smith and the College. 

In his first year, Smith set a school freshman record by hitting 90 3-point shots for the season and was named to the 2021–22 CAA All-Rookie Team.

Last year, he tied a College of Charleston single-game record by sinking eight 3-point shots against the University of Richmond. He also helped lead the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018. 

Now in his junior year, Smith is ranked as one of the best 3-point shooters in College of Charleston history. He says he doesn’t want to put pressure on himself, but he would like to see his name on the top of that list: “It’s definitely something on my mind. I kind of want to leave my mark on the school.” 

Unlike some players who have successful seasons, Smith has never been tempted to leave the Lowcountry and enter the transfer portal. He says everything he wants is here.

“There’s just no reason for me to go anywhere,” says the business administration major with an interest
in entrepreneurship. “The coaches here are awesome. I’ve built forever lasting relationships, and I have a
great role on the team. There is no reason to move.” 

Smith says the team has one goal for this season: returning to the NCAA Tournament for a second year in a row.

“The reason I moved across the world is to play in March Madness,” he says. “Seeing that big March Madness logo on the court kind of leaves you speechless. There is this level of excitement that’s hard to put into words.”