Purdue Guard Braden Smith Named Semifinalist For National College Basketball Award
Purdue junior guard Braden Smith is one of 10 semifinalists for the Bob Cousy Award, presented annually to the top point guard in college basketball. The announcement was made on Monday.
Smith, who was the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year selection, has played a massive role in Purdue's success this season. He's guided the Boilermakers to a 17-5 record, which includes a 9-2 mark in Big Ten play.
Through Purdue's first 22 games this season, the junior is averaging 15.8 points, 8.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.
Although he's played well all season, Smith really came to life in January when Purdue returned to Big Ten play. For the month, the guard averaged 17.6 points, 9.1 assists and 3.1 steals per game. He's the only player this century to score 150 points, dish out 80 assists and record 25 steals in a single calendar month.
It should be no surprise that the Boilermakers finished the month with an 8-1 record and are right in the thick of the Big Ten regular season title race.
The complete list of Bob Cousy Award semifinalists is listed below:
- Mark Sears, Alabama
- Walter Clayton Jr., Florida
- Ryan Nembhard, Gonzaga
- Keshon Gilbert, Iowa State
- Kam Jones, Marquette
- Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
- Braden Smith, Purdue
- Dylan Harper, Rutgers
- Zakai Zeigler, Tennessee
- Javon Small, West Virginia
Smith has been playing at an All-American level this season and is a strong candidate to be the Big Ten Player of the Year. If he claims that honor, it would mark the third straight season in which Purdue has won the award.
Star center Zach Edey was the winner of the conference's top individual honor in 2023 and 2024. He was also named the National Player of the Year both seasons.
No player from Purdue has ever won the Bob Cousy Award since its inception in 2004. Last year's winner was UConn's Tristen Newton. The last Big Ten player to receive the honor was Illinois' Ayo Dosunmu (2021).
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