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For more than 15 years, Matt Painter assembled Purdue<\/a> teams where players of all shapes and sizes could win.<\/p>\n From the exceptionally tall Zach Edey<\/a> to the mighty-mouse scoring sparkplug Carsen Edwards. From a bulldozer like Caleb Swanigan to lithe and agile Jaden Ivey.<\/p>\n Painter’s Boilermakers<\/a> have had it all \u2014 except an elite point guard.<\/p>\n Postseason awards: <\/strong>Check out All-Big Ten teams, 2026 Player, Coach of the Year<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n ‘It’s not broken’ \u2014 yet: <\/strong>Why March Madness expansion would punish Cinderellas<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Turns out, all he had to do was look about 50 miles southeast to find the one to change it all.<\/p>\n Westfield, Indiana’s Braden Smith<\/a> has gone from under-the-radar three-star recruit with offers from Montana and Appalachian State to Purdue’s transcendent floor general. The All-American and 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year, Smith is in his final weeks with the Boilermakers. As the end approaches, he\u2019s far from done.<\/p>\n NCAA history is in sight. So is that elusive national championship. Why not go for both?<\/p>\n Smith enters March within striking distance of Bobby Hurley’s Division I assists record. To get there, he will need a few extra games. And that might mean guiding Purdue down a short drive south on I-65 to Indianapolis for the Final Four.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ve had good point guards,\u201d Painter told USA TODAY Sports. \u201cBut we haven’t had that elite player at that position like him.\u201d<\/p>\n There wasn\u2019t much time for the 2022 Indiana Mr. Basketball to settle, thrust into the starting lineup out of the gate. It helped having Edey as the star, able to dish it to the 7-3 behemoth to dominate games.\u00a0<\/p>\n It molded Smith as a premier passer, with assistant coach and former Purdue guard P.J. Thompson serving as a mentor. In his sophomore season, Smith’s 7.5 assists per game were the second-most in the country for the eventual national runner-up.\u00a0<\/p>\n But with Edey gone, Purdue needed more from Smith his junior year. He didn\u2019t really prioritize scoring, but he would have to, all while continuing to be one of the best passers in the game.<\/p>\n He stepped it up. Last season, he averaged 15.8 points with 8.7 assists per game, leading to a crowded trophy case.<\/p>\n \u201cYou add something to your game every year. You add more maturity to your game, more polish to your game,\u201d Painter said. \u201cWe needed him to score, we needed him each year to grow. Every year, he got better.\u201d<\/p>\n This season, Smith is Purdue’s leading scorer at 14.9 points per game while averaging 8.7 assists a game, second-most in the nation. It\u2019s been a remarkable offensive season for Purdue, on pace to be one of Painter\u2019s best-scoring team of his tenure.<\/p>\n Smith can dissect things in multiple ways. Painter described his approach as \u201ctake what the game presents.\u201d If teams are taking away passing lanes, then go score. If they are defending hard, make those passes for easy buckets.<\/p>\n \u201cJust instinctively play the game. That’s when he’s at his best,\u201d Painter said.<\/p>\n There will be nights where he scores 29 points, like he did against Alabama, or others when he\u2019s reaching double-digit assists. When he\u2019s getting double-doubles (he has eight this season), the Boilermakers are 6-2.<\/p>\n \u201cI’m going to continue to shoot,\u201d Smith said. \u201cYou still got to produce and do what you’re going to do.”<\/p>\n With 141 career games played, Smith is on the cusp of NCAA history, recently becoming the fifth men\u2019s player to reach 1,000 career assists. At 1,029 total dimes, he is just 47 away from Hurley\u2019s all-time record of 1,076 assists set in 1990-93.<\/p>\n
\nBraden Smith is approaching Bobby Hurley’s assists record. But the Purdue guard wants more: a first Boilermakers NCAA title.<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Braden Smith nearing Bobby Hurley’s NCAA assist record<\/h2>\n