Braden Smith Among Just Five College Basketball Players With This Elite Stat Line

Over and over again, Braden Smith has expressed that the biggest reason why he came back to Purdue was to win a national championship. Individual accomplishments and accolades aren't that important to him, at least right now. But it's still worth acknowleding what the senior guard has achieved during his time in West Lafayette.

After finishing Sunday's game against Maryland with 19 points and six assists, Smith surpassed 1,700 career points and 950 assists. He became just the fifth player in the history of college basketball to reach those marks.

The other four players in the 1,700-point, 950-assist club include:

Bobby Hurley, Duke (1,731 points, 1,076 assists)
Greg Anthony, UNLV (1,738 points, 950 assists)
Keith Jennings, East Tennessee State (1,989 points, 983 assists)
Sherman Douglas, Syracuse (2,060 points, 960 assists)

Smith curently has 1,711 points and 954 assists. The Boilermakers still have nine regular-season games remaining, plus the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments in March.

Although Smith is focused on team accomplishments, he still has a chance to break Hurley's all-time assist record, especially if Purdue makes a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

Whether he breaks it or not, Smith has had one of the best careers in college basketball. He's putting himself in position to be the two-time Big Ten Player of the Year and win the National Player of the Year award.

Smith having big senior season at Purdue

As one of Purdue's senior leaders, Smith has stepped up and delivered in big-time moments even more so than in previous years. The senior guard leads his team in scoring and is the country's top passer with one month remaining in the season.

Smith is averaging 15.3 points and 8.9 assists per game this season. He's shooting at a 50% clip and is knocking down the three-ball at a 43.5% rate. He's become more aggressive on the offensive end, especially when looking for his shot.

Earlier this week, Smith was included among 10 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, the honor he received at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. He has a chance to receive the award in back-to-back seasons, as he's putting together a tremendous senior campaign.

Smith will have an opportunity to solidify himself as one of Purdue's all-time greats with the upcoming stretch remaining on the schedule. After this weekend's matchup with Oregon, the Boilermakers will play No. 9 Nebraska, Iowa, No. 2 Michigan, Indiana and No. 10 Michigan State. Plus, this team is hoping to make a deep NCAA Tournament push.

He's already cemented his legacy and will be remembered as one of the best to put on the uniform. But he could be in the conversation with names like Glenn Robinson, Zach Edey and Rick Mount based on the final stretch of the year.

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Smith having big senior season at Purdue

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