Smith Named First-Team All-American by The Sporting News
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue junior guard Braden Smith has been named a first-team All-American by The Sporting News, the organization announced today.
The Sporting News is one of four entities that comprise consensus All-America recognition, and is joined by the NABC, Associated Press and USBWA, all of which will be announced later this month.
It marks the first All-American honor for the Westfield, Indiana, native and it marks the fourth straight year that a Boilermaker has earned at least one first-team All-American accolade. Jaden Ivey was named a NABC first-team honoree in 2022, while Zach Edey earned back-to-back National Player of the Year honors in 2023 and 2024.
In addition, Purdue has now had three guards named All-American in the last seven years (Carsen Edwards – 2018, 2019; Jaden Ivey – 2022; Braden Smith – 2025). Purdue and Marquette are the only schools in the country to make that claim.
Purdue’s five first-team honors since the 2016-17 season are tied for the most in the country with Kansas (Caleb Swanigan – 2017; Jaden Ivey – 2022; Zach Edey – 2023, 2024; Braden Smith – 2025).
First-Team All America – Braden Smith, Junior, Guard
- Named the Big Ten Player of the Year.
- Averages 16.3 points, 8.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game, but saw his averages increase to 17.4 points, 8.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds during Big Ten play.
- Set the Big Ten record for assists in conference play only with 175, smashing the previous record set by Michigan State’s Cassius Winston (157) by 18 assists – almost a full assist per game.
- Became the second player in Big Ten history, joining Michigan State’s Magic Johnson, to register 450 points, 250 assists, 125 rebounds and 60 steals in a season. Smith has reached those numbers in each of the last two seasons.
- Became the school’s career assists leader, now with 717 assists in just 105 career games.
- Needs just three assists, five rebounds and three steals to become the second player in NCAA history to have 500 points, 275 assists, 150 rebounds and 75 steals in a season, joining Georgia Tech standout Kenny Anderson (1989-90) as members of that group.
- Is on pace to be the first player since California’s Jason Kidd (1993-94) to average at least 16.0 points, 8.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
- Smith’s 717 assists (and counting) are the eighth most for a player in NCAA history by the end of his junior season.
- Recorded four 20-point, 10-assist games this season. Prior to this year, Purdue had two 20-point, 10-assist games in school history – the last one coming in the 1987-88 season.
- His nine point-assist double-doubles are the third most for a high-major player in the last 20 seasons (14 – Oklahoma’s Trae Young, 2018; 10 – Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell, 2023).
- Smith has posted two games of 30 or more points this season (34 vs. Toledo; 31 vs. Iowa).
- Has 12 games of 10 or more assists this season, and 22 games of 10 or more assists for his career. His 22 career games of 10 or more assists are the most in Big Ten history. The 22, 10-assist games are the fourth most by a player in his junior season or younger in the last 20 years (Kay Felder – 32; Kendall Marshall – 23; Ja Morant – 23).