Michigan Coach Dusty May Sings Praises of Purdue Guard Braden Smith

Michigan was one of the teams with the unfortunate luck of having to gameplan for junior Purdue guard Braden Smith twice during the Big Ten season. Even though the 20th-ranked Wolverines pulled out a win over the seventh-ranked Boilermakers in Ann Arbor Tuesday night, coach Dusty May was thoroughly impressed with the play of Smith.

Smith concluded Tuesday's contest with 24 points, six rebounds and five assists. More impressively, the junior knocked down two triples late in the game, erasing a six-point deficit and giving Purdue a chance to pull out an improbable win in the Crisler Center.

But Smith's final attempt was off the mark and Michigan hung on to beat Purdue 75-73. Not only did the Wolverines win the game, they took over the top spot in the Big Ten standings, now leading the Boilers by a half game.

After the game, May was asked about Michigan's defensive strategy regarding Smith. The first-year coach of the Wolverines spoke highly of the play of Purdue's star guard.

"You have to pick your poison. I thought his ability to hit the roll man on the pick-and-roll, get his shooters shots was an A-plus. I mean, he's incredible," May said. "His stamina — I kept looking at him thinking, 'This guy's got to be getting somewhat tired or fatigued.' He didn't.

"Those last two shots he made, the plays in-between. That's the thing about programs like Purdue and what we're striving to get to, it doesn't matter that he doesn't score in those 26 minutes, because he's doing everything else. It's about winning and it's about doing it together when you're able to compete at a championship level like they have."

Dusty May had high praise for @BoilerBall's @3bradensmith's game 🙌 pic.twitter.com/gzsAw9fqVG
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) February 12, 2025

Smith played all 40 minutes for the Boilermakers on Tuesday night, yet looked fresh in the game's final stretch. Maybe if he had a chance to get his feet set on that final shot, he would've connected on the buzzer-beater, too.

Michigan had trouble with Smith in the first meeting in Mackey Arena back in January, too. He accounted for 24 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and four steals in Purdue's 91-64 victory in West Lafayette.

Since the calendar flipped to January, Smith has been searching for his shot more, making Purdue one of the most challenging teams to defend. As a result, the Boilermakers are 10-2 in Big Ten play and find themselves competing for a conference championship.

Related stories on Purdue basketball