Gonzaga vs. Purdue: Ryan Nembhard-Braden Smith matchup ‘is a big one to watch’ in Sweet 16 game
The battles in the paint between Graham Ike and Zach Edey will garner a lot of attention Friday when the Gonzaga Bulldogs and Purdue Boilermakers square off in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, but even those giants can’t overshadow how important each team’s point guard will be in determining who moves on to the Elite Eight.
The matchup in the backcourt features two of college basketball’s best floor generals in Ryan Nembhard and Braden Smith, two playmakers who excel at setting up their teammates and dictating the flow of a game through their passing.
Both rank in the top-five in the nation in total assists, with Smith leading the way at 256 and counting while Nembhard is tied for fifth at 236, a program-record he passed in a 12-assist game against Kansas in the second round last week. Neither has shot the ball well as of late, but their playmaking has made up for that and then some — over the last five games, Nembhard is averaging 10.8 assists; Smith isn’t far behind at 8.8 assists.
“The Braden Smith-Ryan Nembhard matchup is huge,” said college basketball analyst and former Purdue standout Robbie Hummel on Gonzaga Nation. “That is a big one to watch. They’re two really, really good guards. Neither guy is necessarily shooting the basketball all that well but the passing by both of them … those two guys have passed it the last four or five games.”
Hummel broke down the Gonzaga-Purdue matchup with former All-American Dan Dickau on a new episode of Gonzaga Nation.
WATCH THE FULL DICKAU-HUMMEL VIDEO
Video produced by Christian Pedersen.
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COLE FORSMAN
Cole Forsman is a reporter for Gonzaga Nation, a member of Sports Illustrated’s FanNation network. Cole holds a degree in Journalism and Sports Management from Gonzaga University.