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Purdue HC Matt Painter sends heartfelt Braden Smith message after 1,000th assist
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- Purdue HC Matt Painter sends heartfelt Braden Smith message after 1,000th assist
Purdue HC Matt Painter sends heartfelt Braden Smith message after 1,000th assist appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball senior guard Braden Smith became just the fifth player in NCAA Division I history to record 1,000 career assists on Thursday night, reaching the milestone during No. 8 Purdue's 76-74 loss to No. 13 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball at Mackey Arena.
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Smith entered the matchup with 994 assists and needed six to reach 1,000. He found C.J. Cox for his first assist on the Boilermakers' opening three-pointer. The record-setting 1,000th assist came with 6:43 remaining in the first half on a fastbreak pass to Trey Kaufman-Renn. Although the shot did not fall, the Spartans were called for goaltending, officially crediting Smith with the assist. He finished the game with 10 assists.
"He's a fabulous player," said Purdue head coach Matt Painter . "Everything he gets, he deserves. He's sacrificed a lot. It's just an honor to coach him. He's done a lot for Purdue University."
The 6-foot senior is now tied to an exclusive group that includes Bobby Hurley (1,076 assists), Chris Corchiani (1,038), Ed Cota (1,030), and Jason Brickman (1,007). Hurley set the Division I record in 1993 at Duke. With three regular-season games remaining, plus the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments ahead, Smith still has a mathematical opportunity to challenge the 1,076 mark. Earlier this season, Smith surpassed Cassius Winston to claim the Big Ten career assist record. In 28 games this season, he is averaging 14.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.2 blocks, while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.5% from three-point range.
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Smith brings more to the table than just playmaking. He has accumulated more than 1,700 career points, over 600 rebounds, and more than 200 steals. His honors include two first-team All-Big Ten selections, consensus first-team All-American recognition, the 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year award, and the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard last season.
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