WATCH: ESPN Airs Wrong Highlight Clip After Announcing Braden Smith as Cousy Winner
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ESPN's production crew had quite the blunder when revealing that Purdue guard Braden Smith had won the 2025 Bob Cousy Award. Rather than showing highlights of the star Boilermaker, the network mistakenly aired clips of Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner.
For those curious, Kalkbrenner is a 7-foot-1 center at Creighton.
Below is the clip from Saturday's College GameDay program, when Smith was announced the winner. You'll notice that host Rece Davis immediately catches the mistake once Kalkbrenner's highlights began airing.
We just turned on the TV and a turnover happened on ESPN @CollegeGameDay. They just accidentally gave the Bob Cousy Award to a 7’1” player. #FinalFour pic.twitter.com/9Hc30EvFnu
— Hotel Statler (@MuppetMediaTV) April 5, 2025
For some context, Kalkbrenner did receive the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, presented to the best center in college basketball. So, it wasn't just a random highlight reel the production team aired.
Smith concluded the season averaging 15.8 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game for the Boilermakers. He led Purdue to a 24-12 record and a trip to the Sweet 16.
The Cousy Award is one of several honors Smith has received for his efforts during the 2024-25 campaign. He was also a first-team All-Big Ten selection, the Big Ten Player of the Year and was a first-team All-American. The junior guard was also a finalist for the Naismith National Player of the Year honor.
Saturday's flub may have been an innocent mistake on behalf of ESPN, but it certainly had Purdue fans frustrated with the network on social media. Here were just some of the responses:
Braden Smith wins the award and ESPN immediately shows clips of another guy and talks about them instead of you know the guy who actually won the award…. What a crap show man.
— Jared (@NapTownYinz) April 6, 2025
I’m sorry did braden smith win that award and then espn played ryan kalkbrenner highlights. what happened there
— crimson quarry (@crimsonquarry) April 5, 2025
Played Kalkbrenner’s highlights during Braden’s part of the show. This comes a year after not playing Edey’s highlights at all.
— Jed Wilkinson (@PurdueWilkie) April 6, 2025
Related stories on Purdue basketball
COUSY CONGRATULATES SMITH: Purdue guard Braden Smith was named the winner of the Bob Cousy Award on Saturday. After the announcement, the basketball legend shared a message with the Purdue star. CLICK HERE
SMITH WINS COUSY AWARD: Purdue guard Braden Smith was named the winner of the 2025 Bob Cousy Award, presented to the top point guard in college basketball. CLICK HERE
HEIDE HEADS TO TEXAS: Former Purdue forward Camden Heide is reportedly transferring to Texas. The sophomore averaged 4.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game for the Boilermakers. 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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