Analyst Snubs Purdue's Braden Smith as Top-10 Player in 2025 NCAA Tournament
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PROVIDENCE — Braden Smith doesn't really need any additional motivation as No. 4 seed Purdue plays No. 13 seed High Point in Thursday's opening round of the NCAA Tournament (12:40 p.m. ET, truTV). But, if he needs something to fuel his fire, college basketball analyst Andy Katz may have provided the starter fluid.
This week, Katz provided a list of the top-10 players participating in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Despite being the Big Ten Player of the Year and a first-team All-American selection, Smith was not included on the analyst's list.
The rundown of Katz's top-10 players includes:
- Cooper Flagg, Duke
- Johni Broome, Auburn
- Derik Queen, Maryland
- JT Toppin, Texas Tech
- Mark Sears, Alabama
- Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
- PJ Haggery, Memphis
- Donovan Dent, New Mexico
- Chucky Hepburn, Louisville
- Nique Clifford, Colorado State
Andy Katz ranks the top 🔟 players appearing in #MarchMadness 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Aqe4njYvrv
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 2025
Smith ended the season averaging 16.1 points, 8.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. It's surprising that he's not included on this top-10 list, especially with the things he has accomplished this year.
We'll see if he proves Katz wrong during Thursday afternoon's game against High Point.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
TOM BREW COLUMN: No. 4 seed Purdue takes on No. 13 High Point on Thursday in the NCAA Tournament, and it's a big deal for second-year coach Alan Huss. He spent nearly a decade coaching in Northern Indiana, and knows Purdue and coach Matt Painter well. He talked about those experiences during Wednesday's press conference in Providence, R.I. CLICK HERE
GENE KEADY IN TOWN: Former Purdue coach Gene Keady is in Providence and ready to cheer on his former team as the Boilermakers prepare for High Point in the NCAA Tournament. CLICK HERE
PAINTER GETS A LAUGH: Purdue coach Matt Painter had an epic quote comparing player development and the transfer portal to marriage, drawing a big laugh from the media. CLICK HERE
SMITH PRAISES TEAMMATES: Braden Smith has had a sensational career at Purdue. But he doesn't take all of the credit, saying a lot of his teammates deserve more praise than he does. CLICK HERE
Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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