Smith 1-of-4 Finalists for the Naismith Trophy
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Consensus first-team All-American Braden Smith is now a finalist for one of college basketball’s biggest honors, as the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced four finalists for the Naismith Trophy given to the nation’s top college basketball player.
Smith is joined by Duke’s Cooper Flagg, Auburn’s Johni Broome and Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr., as finalists. It marks the third straight season that a Boilermaker has been a Naismith Trophy finalist after Zach Edey won the award following both the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Smith has previously been named a first-team All American by the four entities that make up consensus honors – The Sporting News, The Associated Press, the USBWA and the NABC.
It marks the seventh consensus All-America award during the Matt Painter era, as Smith joins JaJuan Johnson (1st – 2011), Caleb Swanigan (1st – 2017), Carsen Edwards (2nd – 2019), Jaden Ivey (2nd – 2022) and Zach Edey (1st – 2023, 2024) as players to be named consensus All-American. Six of the seven awards have come in the last nine seasons.
The awards are recognition for what has been an incredible season for the point guard from Westfield, Indiana. He was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and is the front-runner for the Cousy Award, given to the nation’s top point guard. He didn’t disappoint after being named the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year in October.
Smith and the Boilermakers will face top-seeded Houston in Friday’s Sweet 16 in Indianapolis, tipping off just after 10 p.m. ET, at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Naismith Trophy Finalist – Braden Smith, Junior, Guard
- A finalist for the Naismith Trophy, Smith is considered the top point guard in the country.
- Consensus first-team All-American, being named to the first team by the Sporting News, the Associated Press, the USBWA and the NABC.
- Named the Big Ten Player of the Year after being selected as the preseason Player of the Year.
- Averages 16.0 points, 8.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 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 743 assists in just 109 career games. Smith already ranks fourth on the Big Ten’s career assists list, despite playing three seasons.
- Became 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 743 assists (and counting) are the fifth most for a player in NCAA history by the end of his junior season. He is the only player in NCAA history with 1,300 points, 700 assists and 500 rebounds in his first three seasons.
- 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).