College Basketball Team Reports: Louisville Cardinals

Pitino: When he steps on the court you see incredible energy, and also the wingspan and physical ability to take advantage of that energy. He's worked hard on

Louisville's Russ Smith racked up 83 steals and had 9.1 free throw attempts per 40 minutes last season :: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Pitino: When he steps on the court you see incredible energy, and also the wingspan and physical ability to take advantage of that energy. He's worked hard on his midrange jump shot and is getting better at it. When he came in he was about as raw of a player as you could find; he really had no offense. He was just a 6-foot-8 strong body that could get up and down the floor, and had very poor ballhandling, shooting and passing skills. So now you take that activity, that body, make it stronger, and add in the evolution of his skills, and you've got one of the premier power forwards in college basketball.