Purdue basketball's Braden Smith gets strong Kelvin Sampson praise ahead of Sweet 16
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Throughout the season, Purdue basketball guard Braden Smith has set records upon records. The All-American guard is one of the top point guards in the country. Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson feels the same way.
Ahead of their Sweet 16 clash, Sampson raved about how elite Smith is.
"Basketball IQ off the charts,” Sampson said via Joseph Duarte on X (formerly Twitter). “Arguably the best point guard in the nation."
On the season, Smith is averaging 16 points per game and a Big Ten-leading 8.5 assists per game. His perimeter shooting and elite ball-handling has served Purdue basketball well.
So far this season, Smith leads the Big Ten in total minutes played, assists, and steals. For the junior guard, he’s been one of the focal points for Matt Painter’s offense.
Despite losing Zach Edey to the 2024 NBA Draft, they haven’t regressed. While they didn’t secure a No. 1 seed to win the Big Ten conference, they remain an elite team.
Sampson and his squad endured a tough Gonzaga team in the Round of 32. That matchup felt like more of a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight matchup than anything else. However, the Cougars will have another test with Smith and the Boilermakers.
Kelvin Sampson sees Purdue basketball and Braden Smith as elite
Sampson has learned to not take an opponent for granted. While the latter is in pursuit of his first NCAA championship, so is Painter. This could be a Sweet 16 matchup for the ages.
With the Cougars boasting the best scoring defense, this can likely be a bruising game. Both teams excel in the halfcourt, especially Purdue basketball.
However, this is where Smith’s game comes in. When it gets it going from the perimeter, it forces the defense to pick their poison on who they want to guard.
The inside-out game remains to be elite for the Boilermakers. Not to mention, Smith set another Purdue basketball record against Rutgers earlier in March.
Sampson knows that his team’s hands will be full. They’ll be going against an All-American and what many people dub as the best point guard in the country.
Houston’s 58.4 points allowed per game might have something to say about that. Regardless, Smith could still have a monumental game in the Sweet 16. If that were to be the case, it wouldn’t surprise Sampson in the slightest.
Either way, Friday’s game between the two schools should be a great duel. No. 4 and No. 1 squaring off could be worthy of one of the best college basketball games of the season.
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