By the Numbers: Braden Smith's Chances of Breaking Purdue Assist Record vs. Indiana
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Braden Smith is inching closer to history at Purdue. The junior guard is just eight assists away from breaking the program's all-time record, set by Bruce Parkinson at 690 total assists (1972-77). He'll have a chance to break the record on Sunday, as the Boilermakers travel to Bloomington for a showdown with in-state rival Indiana.
Winning is at the front of Smith's mind entering Sunday's game, but he probably wouldn't mind making Purdue history at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, either. How realistic are his chances of becoming the program's all-time leading assist man?
Smith is averaging 8.8 assists per game this year, meaning he has a great shot at setting a new program high this weekend in Bloomington. But, just for fun, I decided to break it down even further than that.
Here's the rundown of what Smith has done throughout his career.
Average assists
2024-25 season: 8.8 assists per game (101 games)
Career: 6.8 assists per game (101 games)
Games with 8 assists or more
2024-25 season: 15 games
Career: 35 games
Assists vs. Indiana
Total assists vs. Indiana: 32 assists (5 games)
Assist average vs. Indiana: 6.4 assists per game (5 games)
Total assists vs. Indiana at Assembly Hall: 15 assists (2 games)
Assist average vs. Indiana at Assembly Hall: 7.5 assists per game (2 games)
Assists vs. Big Ten opponents (includes Big Ten Tournament)
Total assists vs. Big Ten opponents (2024-25): 141 assists (16 games)
Average assists vs. Big Ten opponents (2024-25): 8.8 assist per game (16 games)
Total assists vs. Big Ten opponents (career): 418 assists (61 games)
Average assists vs. Big Ten opponents (career): 6.8 assists per game (61 games)
Assists in true road games (does not include neutral sites)
Total assists in road games (2024-25): 69 assists (9 games)
Average assists in road games (2024-25): 7.7 assists per game (9 games)
Total assists in Big Ten road games (2024-25): 60 assists (8 games)
Average assists in Big Ten road games (2024-25): 7.5 assists per game (8 games)
Total assists in road games (career): 192 assists (30 games)
Average assists in road games (career): 6.4 assists per game (30 games)
Total assists in Big Ten road games (career): 176 (28 games)
Average assists in Big Ten road games (career): 6.3 assists per game (28 games)
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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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