Former Louisville Forward Samuell Williamson Commits to SMU

After being one of the first players to depart the Louisville men's basketball program following the end of their 2021-22 season, Samuell Williamson is heading back home.

The 6-foot-7, 210-pound wing announced Wednesday that he has committed to SMU. The Mustangs, located just north of downtown Dallas, Tex., are less than 30 miles away from Williamson's hometown of Rockwall, a suburb of Dallas.

He was the second Louisville player to put his name into the transfer portal, following Gabe Wiznitzer, and the first to find a new home. Matt Cross, Noah Locke and Dre Davis also entered the portal, with 2022 signees Tae Davis and Fredrick King also asking out of their National Letters of Intent.

Williamson came to Louisville with lofty expectations. Joining the Cardinals as part of the heralded "Super Six" 2019 class, the former McDonalds All-American was the fourth-highest ranked recruit to ever sign with Louisville in the modern recruiting era.

His freshman year was spent mostly as a reserve, averaging just 4.4 points and 15.5 minutes per game, but seeing action in all 31 games. Williamson had a slow start to his sophomore season, but finished strong to average 9.6 points and 8.1 rebounds.

He was expected to take a big leap in his junior year, but things never quite materialized for him. He only put up 5.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game, and his role on the team diminished significantly as the season progressed.

Louisville finished their 2021-22 campaign with an overall record of 13-19, their first losing season in over two decades. The Cardinals started out with a 10-4 mark, only to lose 15 of their final 18 games. The program mutually parted ways with head coach Chris Mack in late January, and hired Kenny Payne in mid March. 

(Photo of Samuell Williamson: Michael Clevenger - Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)