Purdue Makes Historic Announcement on Braden Smith Amid NCAA Tournament

Braden Smith's legacy at Purdue Boilermakers was already well established heading into this year's NCAA Tournament, as the team entered on a four-game winning streak - all coming in the Big Ten Tournament en route to a conference title.

With that momentum, the Boilermakers earned a No. 2 seed in March Madness, and in their first-round matchup against the Queens Royals, Smith etched his name even deeper into the history books.

In just 18 first-half minutes, he recorded 15 points and five assists, adding to his standing as the NCAA Division I all-time leader in assists - a milestone Purdue and the broadcast highlighted shortly after tipoff.

“The Assist King,” Purdue posted as Smith recorded his 1,077th career assist, surpassing Bobby Hurley.

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Purdue fans quickly reacted to the historic feat for their star point guard, Braden Smith.

“Let's go, Braden!! Simply amazing!! Now go win this game!” one fan said.

Another added, “Shoutout to Purdue's Braden Smith on this incredible accomplishment!!! What a career he has had!”

“There's one atop the mountain, and it's a kid from Westfield, Indiana, who wears No. 3,” another fan wrote.

“Huge congrats to Braden Smith! Incredible achievement!!” one fan shared.

One more commented, “The best passer in college basketball history!”

Smith committed to Purdue as a true freshman in 2022 and started all 35 games. He has never missed a start in his career, going a perfect 145-for-145 for Purdue.

Across his career, Smith has averaged 12.9 points, 7.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game. His accolades include Big Ten Player of the Year, three-time All-Big Ten team selection, two-time NCAA All-Region honors, two-time consensus All-American, and this year's Big Ten Tournament MVP.

He’s accomplished just about everything from both a statistical and team standpoint - except one thing: a national championship.

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This story was originally published March 20, 2026 at 9:15 PM.