Purdue's Braden Smith Rewrites Big Ten Record Books
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There's a new career assist leader in the Big Ten. On Saturday night against Wisconsin, Purdue guard Braden Smith become the conference's all-time assist leader, passing Cassius Winston for the league's top spot.
Entering Saturday night's game, Smith had totaled 881 career assists with the Boilermakers. He needed nine assists to tie Cassius Winston's mark, as he racked up 890 assists during his time at Michigan State.
Smith got six of those assists in the first half and didn't let up. He dished out another six in the second half of Purdue's 89-73 victory over the Badgers. Here's the moment when the senior guard broke the Big Ten record:
HISTORIC DIME 🙌@BoilerBall star Braden Smith's 891st career assist breaks Michigan State legend Cassius Winston's record 🚂 pic.twitter.com/hD0gkFlCGg
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 4, 2026
Not only did Smith pass Winston's record on Saturday night, but he also got one step closer to breaking the NCAA record, set by Duke's Bobby Hurley. That record still requires quite a bit of work, as Hurley dished out 1,076 assists during his career with the Blue Devils.
Smith now owns two major assist records — he broke Purdue's all-time record during his junior campaign, surpassing a total set by Bruce Parkinson. Now, he's the Big Ten's all-time leader.
With nearly an entire Big Ten season remaining, can Smith reach Hurley's mark and become the all-time leader in college basketball by the end of the season?
Smith records another double-double
Smith was brilliant on Saturday night in Madison. He finished the game with 14 points and 12 assists, recording his fourth double-double of the 2025-26 season. The senior guard also had four rebounds and a steal in the victory.
As a result of Smith's big-time effort in Madison, the Boilermakers improved to 13-1 on the season and 3-0 in Big Ten play.
Smith's 12 assists on Saturday were more than Wisconsin had as a team, as the Badgers totaled just seven assists for the game. He also had just three turnovers and shot 6-of-11 from the floor.
This was another major milestone for Smith as his career in West Lafayette starts to wind down. However, he's not satisfied with individual accolades, as he's hungry to chase down another Big Ten title and make another Final Four run with the Boilermakers.
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WINSTON SHOUTS OUT SMITH: Purdue guard Braden Smith is on the verge of breaking Cassius Winston's Big Ten assist record. The former Spartan had a special message for the senior guard. 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.
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