Boomers Reyne-check: Sharpshooter Smith opens up on Olympics pursuit

• College standout Reyne Smith is in Las Vegas working out for NBA teams ahead of the Draft on June 26
• He is expected to sign in Europe instead of chasing a return to Australia in the NBL
• Smith made 3.5 out of 9.1 three-point attempts per game in his final college season

His name and shooting ability go hand-in-hand, and it's that world-class marksmanship which Reyne Smith aims to help him standout as he works out for NBA scouts in Las Vegas ahead of the draft next week.

But more importantly, the proud Tasmanian product hopes the skill can take him to a FIBA World Cup or Olympic Games — wearing the green and gold of the Boomers that he's dreamt about since he picked up a basketball.

The 22-year-old, who finished his impressive US college career at Louisville averaging 13.1 points per game while shooting the three ball at 37.9%, is currently in Vegas training at Impact Basketball after declaring for the NBA Draft. And while he isn't featured on any major mock draft before June 26, Smith said the process was a great opportunity for him to grow as a professional.

"It's just kind of about putting myself in an environment of NBA personnel, from skills trainers to athletes and just getting better and learning as much as I can from going through that process," he told basketball.com.au.

"It's a really good kind of developmental time for me and a good opportunity for me to keep getting better and work towards my goals... I work really hard and just trust that and I don't want to change who I am just because I'm working out in front of an NBA team. I am who I am and I'm comfortable with that and this is just an opportunity I'm excited for.

"I'm not really getting too worked up or too nervous. I'm just going in there and looking to learn and just get better overall. That's kind of my mindset going into it is just a good opportunity just to keep getting better."

The former Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence scholarship holder has gone into the process of showcasing his skills in front of NBA scouts with a boost in confidence after shining at the Adidas Eurocamp in Italy, including going for 28 points and hitting eight triples in one game.

It comes after his senior year at Louisville, where he transferred to after three seasons at the College of Charleston, and Smith said his performances at the Eurocamp and playing at one of college basketball's powerhouse schools in front of packed stadiums and against the best teams in the country gave him the confidence to know he could play at the highest level.

"I had a tough end of college season with my ankle and spent a lot longer kind of rehabbing that, so then to kind of be able to get out on court again at the Eurocamp was a lot of fun and that was another kind of good opportunity to play in front of NBA and Europe scouts and I was fortunate enough, once I got my legs kind of settled into it all, I was able to put up a good performance which was great. It was a really good experience over there," he said.

"It also definitely helps having played at Louisville, especially coming from an environment where you're playing against some of the best teams in the country and the best players in the country, then knowing that I can compete on that level and I feel like I'm right there.

"Being able to transfer up to a high major level for my senior year definitely helped give me some confidence, going into everything knowing that I can compete at a really high level."

Smith was one of the best shooters in college basketball, making 3.5 out of his 9.1 attempts from beyond the arc per game in his senior year, and the 6'2" guard took basketball.com.au through what it took to be known as a sharpshooter at the elite level of basketball.

"There's a lot that goes into it, there's not any sort of magic formula that I do to become better other than literally shooting every day," Smith said.

"I've got a strict routine of shooting in the morning and working out like consistently, that's all it really comes down to is that consistent approach every day and working hard for it. I'm excited to show that will translate to that higher level as it's kind of translated from when I was playing in Australia to mid-major basketball to high major and I just want to keep proving that I can compete at any level because shooting translates to anywhere.

"A lot of my sessions are different. There'll be some days, where I'm not as worried about volume as much and it'll be about shooting at more game speed reps. Those sessions I'll get up a little less shots in workouts and then there's other days where I'm just looking to get volume catch and shoot shots up.

"It all depends on the day and usually I have a routine, like Monday we'll be shooting off the dribble, Tuesday shooting off the move and different things like that. So, a lot of it is different variety in my shooting compared to being stressed out about how many I need to get up."

While he wants to showcase that shooting ability in the NBA and Europe, Smith wants nothing more than to light it up with the Boomers.

As the Australian men's national team heads into a new era, led by the likes of NBA stars Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels, the one quality that escaped the Boomers at the 2022 FIBA World Cup as well as the Paris Olympics was laser-like shooting to make defences pay for packing the paint.

It's an area Smith, who represented Australia during an Asia Cup qualifying window last year, sees and has big dreams of filling at major international tournaments in the future.

"I take great pride in being able to play for Australia and there's no better feeling and also the relationships you make when playing for your country, where you've got 12 guys in there for one goal," he said.

"It's not about the money, it's not about anything else, it's about playing for your country and there's just nothing better.

"I remember when I was living back in Tassie and we'd be watching the Olympics and the World Cup and you see how guys like Patty (Mills), Delly (Matthew Dellavedova), (Joe) Ingles and (Andrew) Bogut talk about their experiences playing for Australia and how much it meant to them.

"Then being fortunate enough to be coached by Adam Caporn at the (CoE) who's now Boomer's head coach and just how everyone talks about the culture and the environment within it. I've said many times, I couldn't really care about what I do professionally, I want to play in the Olympics and the World Cup and if I'm at that level of basketball, where I can do that my professional career will take care of itself.

"But my main basketball goal and what really kickstarted all the interest in the game was being able to play for your country.

"It's an unbelievable honour having already played for the Boomers and when you do it, you learn so much about the history of Australian basketball and the standard that has been set and being able to be in that environment is awesome.

"I do say I don't get super nervous or anything like that but when you put on an Australian jersey, you do feel nervous or like this different kind of energy that doesn't really come around that often, so it's something I love."

Reyne is a name we've heard shine in college basketball and expect to hear at the professional ranks and also again for the Boomers. It's also a name used as a pun in headlines at places such as basketball.com.au and it's something Smith said was par for the course with being known as a shooter.

"It's great, it makes a little bit too much sense to not use it and I don't know what my mum knew when I was born in naming me that but, I mean, it's  all part of it and it's a lot of fun," he said.

"I guess it's I'd rather be known for something, which is the cool part, so I'm all for it."