Braden Smith Pens Heartfelt Message to Purdue
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Braden Smith will be remembered at Purdue for decades. He wasn't just one of the best players in program history; he'll go down as one of the top point guards ever to play college basketball. He gave Boilermaker fans plenty to celebrate during his four seasons in West Lafayette.
Smith's career at Purdue has come to an end after suffering a 79-64 loss in the Elite Eight to Arizona. He ends his time with the Boilermakers as the NCAA's all-time assist leader, a two-time Big Ten regular-season champion, a two-time Big Ten Tournament champion, and a member of the 2024 squad that reached the National Championship Game.
As the prolific point guard heads out the door, he wanted to share a heartfelt message, thanking his coaches and teammates at Purdue, his family, friends and fans for all the support during his time with the program.
"Just want to start this off with a thank you. Can't be more thankful for an opportunity to be a part of something special for 4 years with a group of very special people around me," Smith wrote on Instagram. "Thank you to the coaches for trusting the small kid from Westfield that 'wasn’t' good enough to play college basketball. Thank you to my teammates who trusted and believed in me every step of the way, even during the ups and downs! And thank you to the lord above for being by my side."
"I’ve learned so much and just don’t know how my career would have been if this family didn’t give me an opportunity. It’s sad to let it go, but I hope to all the Purdue fans, my family, my friends, my teammates, and my coaches all saw how much I just wanted to win for this school. Came up short many times, and nothing hurt more than those moments."
Purdue played in the NCAA Tournament every year Smith was at Purdue, making it to the Sweet 16 in each of his last three seasons. He was the 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year, the winner of the Bob Cousy Award that same season, and earned consensus first-team All-American honors as a junior and senior.
Most importantly, Smith and his senior teammates, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn, leave as the winningest senior class in program history.
"This is the end of an unbelievable and unforgettable chapter in my life. Thank you to everyone who made that for me," Smith said. "I know this is long, and I could go on and on about Purdue and everyone around me during my last 4 years, but I wanted to just say thank you one last time.
"Thank you, Coach Paint and the staff to believe in the kid when no one else did. When everyone said I couldn’t or won’t. And to all the kids who see this or have watched me, anything is possible. Keep working, prove yourself right, and play with fire and chip on your shoulders at all times! Thank you, Purdue, always a family."
Who is next in line at Purdue?
For four years, Purdue has not had to worry about the point guard situation. Smith had locked that job down as a freshman and flourished in that role throughout his career. Now that he's graduating, who will step up into that spot?
Right now, the Boilermakers have two solid options at the point guard position: returning sophomore guard Omer Mayer and incoming freshman Luke Ertel. Both are skilled players and will presumably battle for the starting job during the summer and fall.
Mayer came to Purdue having played the lead guard for most of his career in Israel. However, he was forced to learn to play off the ball and alongside Smith for portions of his freshman year. He did get some experience with Smith off the floor, but it was not his primary role.
Mayer ended his freshman year averaging 5.5 points and 1.2 assists per game. What could those numbers look like with a longer leash?
Ertel comes to Purdue ranked among the top-50 prospects in the 2026 recruiting class and will likely play immediately. He was the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year, led Mt. Vernon to its first-ever state championship in IHSAA basketball, and was the winner of the State Farm Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships (high school category) on April 3.
Ertel is an excellent passer, but also knows how to score the basketball at a high level.
Losing Smith is undoubtedly a big loss for Purdue, but the Boilermakers have two really talented point guards waiting to lead the program in the 2026-27 season and beyond.
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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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