Smith Named to Cousy Award Watch List
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue junior guard Braden Smith has been selected as one of 20 players named to the Cousy Award watch list, announced today by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Smith, who wasn’t on the initial list a year ago, was one-of-five finalists for the award during the 2023-24 season.
Smith opened the 2024-25 exhibition season on Saturday night, with a 31-point, seven-rebound, four-assist performance against Creighton.
Smith is coming off a record-breaking season for the Boilermakers, setting a school and Big Ten record with 292 assists, while being the only player in America to average at least 12.0 points, 7.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game. He became just the second player in NCAA history to amass at least 450 points, 275 assists and 225 rebounds in a season (BYU’s Kyle Collinsworth – 2015-16 season).
Smith would finish the season averaging 12.0 points, 7.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 43.1 percent from 3-point range.
For his career, Smith has 808 points, 445 assists and 373 rebounds in just 74 games. He is one of six players (Magic Johnson, Kenny Anderson, Nick Calathes, D.J. Cooper, Ja Morant) to have at least 800 points, 425 assists and 350 rebounds by the end of his sophomore season. He currently already ranks eighth on Purdue’s career assists list and needs just 245 helpers to set the school record for career assists. His 445 assists are the second most in Big Ten history through the end of his sophomore campaign (Magic Johnson – 491).
Purdue will host Grand Valley State on Oct. 30, in Mackey Arena, in its final exhibition tuneup.
Smith and the Boilermakers will then open the regular-season Nov. 4, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.