Braden Smith Sets New Mark: Breaks Purdue Basketball All-Time Assists Record

Purdue guard Braden Smith has made history by breaking the Purdue all-time assist record on Friday night against UCLA, surpassing Bruce Parkinson's mark of 690 assists set in the 1970s.

"He's going to hit you right on target," said former Purdue star Zach Edey. "He's going to throw a good pass. I think that's kind of underrated. A lot of people can make the pass, but not a lot of people can make that pass accurately in a pocket, and he can. So, it's special, what he does."

Smith has led the Big Ten in assists for two consecutive seasons and was second in the country with 243 assists and 8.7 assists per game heading into Friday's game.

He also holds the record for total assists in Division I basketball, having tallied 292 assists last season.

In just over two seasons at Purdue, Smith has already set not one but two records for highest season totals for assists in Purdue history. His impressive passing ability has earned him a reputation as an incredible passer from even his early days playing at Purdue.

Before breaking the record, Smith was averaging 15.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game this season, while shooting 44.4% from the field and 38.2% from three-point range.

A Westfield native, Smith is also a former Indiana Mr. Basketball winner (2022).