Former Butler Bulldogs center Andrew Smith died on Tuesday after losing his battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and later leukemia. He was 25 years old.
Smith’s wife Samantha shared the sad news on Twitter.
Andrew peacefully passed away in his sleep and in my arms as I told him I loved him this morning. Love you always, Smith.
— Samantha Smith (@Samantha44Smith) January 12, 2016
Smith played basketball for Butler from 2009-2013, averaging 10.9 points per game as a junior and 11.3 points per game as a senior. He was part of the Bulldogs’ teams that reached consecutive finals in the NCAA Tournament.
After his career at Butler ended, Smith opted to play abroad for a Lithuanian team. It was during an examination for that team that a mass was discovered in his chest. He returned to Indianapolis and was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in Jan. 2014. Following chemo treatment, he went to work for a financial company, but he went into cardiac arrest shortly thereafter and ended up back in the hospital.
Smith underwent a bone marrow transplant but it failed and his condition worsened as the lymphoma transformed into leukemia.
As his conditioned worsened, his former Butler coach Brad Stevens missed a game last week to be with him. Stevens was in contact with him the most out of everyone aside from his family.
Stevens, now with the Boston Celtics, sent this tweet:
To the toughest guy I ever met – Thank you, Andrew. We love you and will always be inspired by you.
— Brad Stevens (@BCCoachStevens) January 12, 2016
Butler issued the following statement about Smith’s death:
“The Butler community is profoundly sad today with the news of Andrew’s passing. We saw the way Andrew fought on the basketball court and we saw the way he fought for his health. In both cases, we saw the best of Andrew Smith. But that’s what we always saw from Andrew. He gave his all, all the time. As an Academic All-American, he represented the best of Butler in the classroom and on the court. Above all else, what made Andrew special was the way that he genuinely cared for others. Within his large frame was an even larger heart. He is, was, and always will be a Bulldog. The Butler community is proud to have been part of his life, and our thoughts are with his wife, Samantha; his parents, Debbie and Curt; and the rest of his family.”
