Braden Smith's Record-Breaking Performance Highlights Boilers Big Ten Tourney Debut

CHICAGO — On a night that Braden Smith set a Big Ten Tournament record, it would usually be pretty difficult to select a defining moment from the game. It was pretty easy on Thursday night, though. One play, more than any other, perfectly encapsulated the senior guard's performance in Purdue's 81-68 romping of Northwestern.

At the six-minute mark in the first half, Northwestern's Justin Mullins tried to make a simple pass to Jake West while running the offense. Smith jumped the pass and deflected it away from the Wildcats guard. Rather than letting the ball go out of bounds, though, the senior chased it down, tipped it into the backcourt and Omer Mayer finished the play with a layup.

That layup pushed Purdue's lead to 38-15. In that moment, it felt like the Boilermakers had already won the game.

"Yeah, when I do those things, it's not really -- it's split-second to make that decision. I don't know, I think it's just more habit than anything," Smith said of the play. "I try to get the steal, and then I just try to keep it alive. If you hit it in the backcourt, I think there's six to eight seconds left on the shot clock.

"So, okay, if I can hit it on the backcourt, maybe take off four, they've got to dribble up, that's at least two, got to contest a shot from deep. I didn't see Omer or Gicarri, who were chasing it down. I just tried to hit it to try to get us more time to roll down the shot clock, and that's what happened."

BRADEN SMITH GOT THAT DAWG IN HIM 😤 @BoilerBall

(via @CBBonFOX) pic.twitter.com/r9xmnvOBps
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 12, 2026

That was just one moment, but it perfectly defined Smith's night in the third round of the Big Ten Tournament. He dished out 16 assists, setting a new tournament record. He also passed Ed Cota and Chris Corchiani on the NCAA's all-time assist leaderboard, now sitting at No. 2.

Smith got plenty of help from his teammates, too. Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn both finished the game with 19 points and Fletcher Loyer chipped in 14. Together, they've collectively helped the senior guard set numerous records, with another added to his list on Thursday.

"That's something we've kept in perspective for Braden. You've got to have guys that can make baskets, too, right? You can't get that award without good players with you, and I think that's what's so humbling about him," Coach Matt Painter said. "He'd rather pass. He'd rather set up people. For us, he needs to do both. No, it's an unbelievable honor. It's an unbelievable feat to be where he is, to have the second most assists in the history of the NCAA. He had one high major offer. He's meant a lot to our program."

Braden Smith reflects on his performance

Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) defends Northwestern Wildcats guard Jordan Clayton (11). | David Banks-Imagn Images

Everyone inside the United Center was wowed by Smith's performance as he distributed the basketball. He was passing out assists like banks hand out Dum-Dum lollipops to customers.

Smith wasn't satisfied with his performance, though. He knows he passed the ball well, but still thinks he needs to play better for Purdue to make a long run in the Big Ten Tournament.

"Other than the assists, I don't think I played great today," he said. "I didn't shoot it well. I thought I had some defensive parts here and there that I thought I did [well]."

To his point, Smith ended the game with just five points, shooting 2-of-8 from the floor. He wasn't a scoring threat, but he didn't need to be for Purdue to defeat a wounded and exhausted Northwestern squad.

Smith may have believed he struggled on Thursday night, but overall, he liked what he saw from his team, especially defensively. With that type of effort, the Boilermakers can make a deep run this week in Chicago.

"I thought defensively we were a lot better," he said. "Obviously, we kind of let up in that second half there, but if we can do what we did in the first half in the second and make it a complete 40-minute game defensively, I think it's going to be really difficult for teams to beat us."

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