ST LOUIS — On Friday evening, Purdue’s upperclassman playmaker, Braden Smith, achieved the distinction of becoming the NCAA’s career assists pacesetter. He amassed 1,077 assists throughout his time in the sport, thereby surpassing the prior benchmark established by Duke legend Bobby Hurley. This feat occurred during the Boilermakers’ initial NCAA tournament matchup against Queens University.
Smith exceeded Hurley’s milestone early in the game, specifically with his second successful pass of the evening. This pivotal play was a bounce feed directed to upperclassman forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, which facilitated a basket and simultaneously drew a foul during the initial period.
Upon the arrival of the history-making instant, the Purdue supporters who journeyed to St. Louis were primed. They erupted in cheers the moment the assist was displayed on the large screen suspended above the playing surface at Enterprise Center.
At the subsequent broadcast break, the public address announcer proclaimed Smith’s achievement, eliciting an additional round of applause. Furthermore, numerous Boilermakers adherents raised a placard declaring Smith the reigning assists monarch.
For the third consecutive year, Smith earned a spot on the All-Big Ten first team and stands as a contender for the esteemed Cousy Award, an accolade presented to the foremost point guard nationwide. Additionally, Smith holds the unique distinction as the sole athlete in NCAA annals to accumulate a minimum of 1,500 points, 1,000 assists, and 500 rebounds.