Purdue Guard Braden Smith Hits Another Major Career Milestone
In this story:
Braden Smith has hit another major milestone in his Purdue career. In Sunday's game against Indiana, he collected his 500th rebound. He needed less than three seasons to hit that impressive mark.
Smith had two rebounds against the Hoosiers over the weekend, bringing his career total to 501. The Boilermakers still have three regular season games remaining and have already locked up a spot in the 2025 Big Ten Tournament.
5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣
— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) February 23, 2025
Another career plateau for Braden Smith. pic.twitter.com/IoK3VL5JeG
Smith has always been a strong rebounder as a 6-foot guard at Purdue. In his career, his averaging 4.9 rebounds per game. This season, he's collecting 4.6 boards per contest.
During Purdue's 2023-24 campaign, Smith enjoyed his most successful season on the game. That year, he averaged 5.8 rebounds per game.
Earlier this season, Smith also eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in his career and he's currently closing in on Bruce Parkinson's all-time assist record in West Lafayette. He still has a year of eligibility remaining after this season.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
BUIE COMMENTS ON LEAL KICK: Former Northwestern star Boo Buie commented on Anthony Leal's kick on Caleb Furst during Sunday's Purdue-Indiana game. He wasn't a fan of the move. CLICK HERE
PAINTER EXPLAINS NO-CALL ON LEAL: Purdue coach Matt Painter told reporters what he was told by the officials regarding Anthony Leal's kick to Caleb Furst early in Sunday's Purdue-Indiana game. CLICK HERE
PURDUE STRUGGLES TO MAKE SIMPLE PLAYS: Purdue coach Matt Painter harped on the team's inability to make simple plays during this four-game losing streak, especially in Sunday's loss to Indiana. CLICK HERE
PAINTER EXPLAINS NO-CALL ON LEAL: Purdue coach Matt Painter told reporters what he was told by the officials regarding Anthony Leal's kick to Caleb Furst early in Sunday's Purdue-Indiana game. CLICK HERE
WHAT PAINTER SAID: Purdue suffered a 73-58 loss to Indiana, a fourth straight defeat for the Boilermakers this month. Here's everything coach Matt Painter said after the game. CLICK HERE
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.
Follow SchutteDustin