Butler's Andrew Smith Dead At 25 After Battle With Cancer

Celtics coach Brad Stevens had skipped a game to visit the former basketball player just last week.
Michael Hickey via Getty Images

Former Butler University center Andrew Smith died at the age of 25 on Tuesday after a two-year battle with cancer. The former Bulldogs player suffered from non-Hodgkin lymphoma and later leukemia.

His wife Samantha posted a short but heartfelt message on Twitter, publicly announcing the death of her husband.

Butler basketball also issued a statement about the tragic news.

"The Butler community is profoundly sad today with the news of Andrew's passing," the statement read. "He is, was, and always will be a Bulldog. The Butler community is proud to have been part of his life."

Just last week, former Bulldogs basketball coach and current Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens skipped his team's game on Thursday to visit his former player. Stevens took to Twitter to honor Smith, calling him "the toughest guy [he] ever met."

Smith played on the Bulldogs during the 2009-2012 seasons and was named a second-team Academic-All American in February 2013.

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