WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue sophomore guard Braden Smith has been named one of five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced earlier today.
Smith is joined on the finalist list by Marquette's Tyler Kolek, Connecticut's Tristan Newton, Alabama's Mark Sears and Houston's Jamal Shead. Smith is the only player on the list that isn't a senior.
Smith's inclusion marks the first time that Purdue has had a finalist for the award, which is given annually to the nation's top point guard. He is looking to become Purdue's third winner of an individual position award, after Zach Edey won the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award a year ago and Carsen Edwards won the Jerry West Award in 2018.
Smith is having a sensational season for the Boilermakers, helping lead Purdue to a Big Ten regular-season championship, a 26-3 overall record and a spot atop the national polls (earlier in the year) for the third straight season.
He enters the Illinois game on Tuesday night, being the only player in America to average at least 13.0 points, 7.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game (13.1 PPG, 7.1 APG, 5.9 RPG). Smith and Michigan State's Magic Johnson (1978-79) are the only players in Big Ten history to amass at least 375 points, 200 assists, 170 rebounds and 50 steals in a season, with at least four games remaining to play.
Smith has 206 assists on the season, just one shy of the school record set by Bruce Parkinson (207) in 1974-75.
Smith has played his best against the nation's top teams, helping Purdue to an 8-0 record against the NET top 25 by averaging 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, while shooting 56.7 percent from 3-point range. He has scored in double-figures in 10 straight games, averaging 15.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game during that span.
Smith currently ranks sixth in the country and second in the Big Ten in assists per game (7.1), while leading the league in assists during conference games only (7.5 APG).
Smith has posted five double-doubles this season, including a monster 11-point, 16-assist performance in a win over Northwestern – the most assists for a Big Ten player in the last 15 years and the second-most helpers in school history.
He has posted three 20-point games, including back-to-back games of 27 points and eight assists against Alabama, then 26 points in a win over No. 1-ranked Arizona in December.
Smith and the Boilermakers will face No. 12-ranked Illinois on Tuesday night in Champaign, beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
Smith is joined on the finalist list by Marquette's Tyler Kolek, Connecticut's Tristan Newton, Alabama's Mark Sears and Houston's Jamal Shead. Smith is the only player on the list that isn't a senior.
Smith's inclusion marks the first time that Purdue has had a finalist for the award, which is given annually to the nation's top point guard. He is looking to become Purdue's third winner of an individual position award, after Zach Edey won the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award a year ago and Carsen Edwards won the Jerry West Award in 2018.
Smith is having a sensational season for the Boilermakers, helping lead Purdue to a Big Ten regular-season championship, a 26-3 overall record and a spot atop the national polls (earlier in the year) for the third straight season.
He enters the Illinois game on Tuesday night, being the only player in America to average at least 13.0 points, 7.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game (13.1 PPG, 7.1 APG, 5.9 RPG). Smith and Michigan State's Magic Johnson (1978-79) are the only players in Big Ten history to amass at least 375 points, 200 assists, 170 rebounds and 50 steals in a season, with at least four games remaining to play.
Smith has 206 assists on the season, just one shy of the school record set by Bruce Parkinson (207) in 1974-75.
Smith has played his best against the nation's top teams, helping Purdue to an 8-0 record against the NET top 25 by averaging 18.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, while shooting 56.7 percent from 3-point range. He has scored in double-figures in 10 straight games, averaging 15.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game during that span.
Smith currently ranks sixth in the country and second in the Big Ten in assists per game (7.1), while leading the league in assists during conference games only (7.5 APG).
Smith has posted five double-doubles this season, including a monster 11-point, 16-assist performance in a win over Northwestern – the most assists for a Big Ten player in the last 15 years and the second-most helpers in school history.
He has posted three 20-point games, including back-to-back games of 27 points and eight assists against Alabama, then 26 points in a win over No. 1-ranked Arizona in December.
Smith and the Boilermakers will face No. 12-ranked Illinois on Tuesday night in Champaign, beginning at 7 p.m. ET.