a steady, two-way SMU floor general with clutch DNA
Nick Russell was a high-IQ guard for SMU whose value went beyond box scores: in the 2013-14 season, he averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.0 steals while starting 36 of 37 games, and he had already shown a bigger lead-guard workload the year before with 14.3 points and 4.3 assists per game in 2012-13. His differentiators were composure, playmaking, and timely shot-making—he hit key late-game buckets and brought legit veteran steadiness, plus enough defensive activity to matter. If your team wants a poised, dependable guard who can organize an offense and keep the game from getting weird, he’s your guy.
