For the rest of the season, Butler will wear a patch reading “AS44” to honor former center Andrew Smith, who died of cancer Tuesday at age 25.

Smith played at Butler from 2009-10 through 2012-13, contributing to both the Bulldogs’ Final Four teams. He averaged at least 8.5 points and five rebounds per game in each of his final three college seasons.

He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in February 2014 while playing professional basketball in Lithuania. After Smith’s condition improved last year, the cancer returned, and last week Smith’s wife Samantha tweeted that Andrew needed “a miracle.”

Samantha announced Tuesday afternoon that Smith had died in his sleep.

Large swaths of the basketball community have expressed sadness in recent days, from the Indiana Pacers holding a moment of silence to honor the Indiana native to Smith’s former Bulldogs coach and current Celtics headman, Brad Stevens choking back tears talking about his former player.

Matt Norland or CBS Sports suggested Smith’s number 44 should be the first in program history to be permanently retired.

Butler plays St. John’s on Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse in what you imagine will be an emotional game for the Bulldogs and their fans.

About Alex Putterman

Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.