Smith sets Big Ten’s assist record, eyes D1 mark

MADISON, Wis. — Purdue guard Braden Smith reacted to becoming the Big Ten’s career assists leader as though it were just another step rather than a culmination.

The 6-foot senior still has other goals in mind.

«Obviously, it’s something cool to see and be a part of,» Smith said after scoring 14 points and breaking the conference assists record Saturday night during No. 5 Purdue‘s 89-73 victory over Wisconsin. «But at the end of the day, I’m here for something bigger than that, and that’s to win a national championship. That’s really our main focus.»

Smith had 12 assists against Wisconsin to increase his career total to 893. Cassius Winston had held the Big Ten record after compiling 890 assists for Michigan State from 2017 to 2020.

It’s quite an accomplishment for a player who wasn’t ranked among the nation’s top 150 recruits coming out of high school.

«He’s special,» Purdue coach Matt Painter said about Smith. «He’s elite. A lot of people who want to go past college and be a professional, it’s like, ‘What do you do great on a professional level?’ He passes better than anybody in college basketball. We sit there and watch. It’s amazing he didn’t have another high-major offer because he’s a winner.»

Smith has another personal goal he’s still chasing.

«Obviously, this one’s out of the way, but I’m aiming for the bigger one — that along with winning a national championship,» he said.

Smith later clarified that his reference to «the bigger one» was the Division I career assists record that has stood for three decades.

Bobby Hurley owns that record after racking up 1,076 assists for Duke from 1990 to 1993. Smith is 183 assists shy of that record with 17 games left in this regular season, along with however many games Purdue plays in the postseason.

Smith averages 9.6 assists this season, and he was leading all Division I players in that category heading into Saturday’s action. That comes after he averaged 4.4 assists as a freshman, 7.5 as a sophomore and 8.7 as a junior.

Smith’s experience as a floor leader was evident Saturday when Painter kept him in the game even after he picked up a third foul with 16:38 left.

Painter joked after the game that he was reminding Smith about his three fouls when the senior responded by continually complaining about the calls that went against him.

«I turned around and saw his parents right away [and] I said, ‘He must have been hell to get to bed when he was a little kid,'» Painter quipped.

Smith stayed in the contest and had a pair of assists during a 10-0 run that extended Purdue’s lead to 63-44. He got the record-breaking assist with 9:22 remaining when he drove to the basket before dishing to Oscar Cluff for a three-point play.

The boisterous section of Purdue fans at Kohl Center gave Smith a standing ovation and started chanting «Braden Smith» as soon as he broke the Big Ten record. In keeping with his competitive spirit, Smith focused more on the spectators who weren’t cheering him on.

«Some people were talking a lot in that front row over there,» he said. «I was just like, ‘Are you not listening to what’s going on out here?’ You’re talking to me, calling me too small. That doesn’t make sense. Too small, but the whole opposing arena is chanting my name? That doesn’t look very good on you.»