Braden Smith puts on record-setting show in Purdue's Sweet 16 loss vs. Houston
03/29/2025 10:12 AM
The 2024-25 college basketball season has been one in which Purdue Boilermakers point guard Braden Smith has been able to step out of the very large shadow of Zach Edey, the two-time National Player of the Year award winner who was the plodding catalyst of Purdue’s run to the National Championship Game last season. Smith occupied the second fiddle role quite well last year, earning All-Big Ten honors alongside Edey. But this season has been a coming out party for the Russellville, Arkansas native, and even in a gut-wrenching last-second loss in the Sweet Sixteen, Smith still managed to shine.
According to former ESPN Stats & Info specialist Jared Berson, in Friday night’s Sweet Sixteen matchup against Houston, Smith became the first player in history with two career 15-assist games in the NCAA Tournament, finishing with a 7 point, 3 rebound, 15 assist stat line in the 62-60 loss at the hands of the Cougars. In the Sweet Sixteen last year, Smith had a 14 point, 8 rebound, 15 assist performance against the Gonzaga Bulldogs. He also has a 15 assist game in Purdue’s season opener this year versus Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and a 16 assist game against Northwestern last January.
What’s interesting, and likely devastating for fans of the Boilermakers, is that until Friday night, Purdue had been a perfect 6-0 in Smith’s career when he had at least 13 assists in a game.
The reigning Big Ten Player of the Year will likely be back at Purdue next year for his senior season, and he’ll be one of the favorites to earn National Player of the Year, just as Edey did twice, if he does come back. And assuming Braden Smith keeps dishing out assists at the pace he has to begin his career, he’ll make even more history next year.
Smith is just 242 assists shy of becoming the fifth player in men’s Division I history to have at least 1,000 assists in their career. If Smith were to hit the 300 assist mark once again next year, he’d move into 2nd place all-time, trailing only Duke Blue Devils legend Bobby Hurley.
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