Peyton Siva: Russ Smith will do great

Peyton Siva knows what his friend Russ Smith is experiencing.

He stayed four years at Louisville before entering the NBA Draft as a projected second-round pick, though Smith's status feels firmer now than Siva's did last spring.

Now, with the NBA Draft process revving up, Siva hopes his former teammate embraces the opportunity and stays true his basketball identity.

"He really just needs to clear his head of the mock drafts or whatever people's opinions are," Siva said of Smith.

"It's going to be just fine. The workouts will help him out a lot because that's his style of game. A lot of the workouts are one-on-one, and that's really going to help him out. He's a tremendous one-on-one player. He can shoot the ball and it's really going to be up to Russ. If he really wants to go forward with it, I know he has the work ethic and the desire to be at that spot. I think he'll do great."

Smith toyed with entering the NBA Draft last spring before deciding to return to school. He improved in just about every statistical category, but his draft stock remains a frequent topic of debate.

There's no denying Smith's scoring ability or his quickness or defensive talent. What's hurting him is a 6-foot, 165-pound frame and a nagging reputation as a sometimes out-of-control lead guard. Smith rarely slipped back into that one-on-five mode over the 2013-14 season, and became frustrated with the perception that he was a single-minded scorer and not a team player.

"Just don't ever say I'm selfish," he said in February. "That really makes me mad."

One NBA scout told The Courier-Journal last week that Smith "should have a spot" somewhere. And Smith, who's toured the Louisville area in recent weeks, signing autographs and making appearances, regularly posts photos or tweets about critics of his game, trumpeting the skepticism as motivational fuel.

Siva's message on Wednesday: Tune that all out and just be Russ Smith.

"He's matured a lot since last year," said Siva, who is back in Louisville to work out with his former teammates, including Smith.

"He's done the best he can. Him coming back, going from two stars to All-American, there's nothing to struggle about. He's going to have a long career wherever he plays. He's going to be there. He has nothing to worry about as long as he continues to handle his business."