WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Naismith Basketball Memorial Hall of Fame has announced that Purdue point guard Braden Smith was named one of five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, given annually to the nation's top point guard.
Smith, who was also a finalist last season, was joined by Tennessee's Zakai Ziegler, Alabama's Mark Sears, Marquette's Kam Jones and Florida's Walter Clayton Jr.
Smith, who is one of the top candidates for National Player of the Year and All-America status, is averaging 16.0 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game, while shooting almost 40.0 percent from 3-point range.
In Big Ten games, he is averaging 17.0 points, 8.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, on pace to set the Big Ten record for assists average by a significant margin.
Smith has already set the Purdue record for assists in a career with 696 and needs just four assists to become the first player in NCAA history to have at least 1,250 points, 700 assists and 500 rebounds by the end of his junior campaign.
He already ranks second on Purdue's single-season assists chart (251) and is the only player in Big Ten history to have two seasons of 250 or more assists. He is one of three players in NCAA history (Oakland's Kay Felder, East Tennessee State's Keith Jennings) to have two seasons of at least 450 points, 250 assists, 125 rebounds and 60 steals, and is only joined by Michigan State's Magic Johnson (1979) as Big Ten players to reach those marks in a single-season.
Smith has posted eight double-doubles this season and has 21 career games of double-digit assists, the most in Big Ten history. He owns four games of at least 20 points and 10 assists. Prior to this season, Purdue had two 20-point, 10-assist performances in program history.
Smith and the Boilermakers face Rutgers on Tuesday.
Smith, who was also a finalist last season, was joined by Tennessee's Zakai Ziegler, Alabama's Mark Sears, Marquette's Kam Jones and Florida's Walter Clayton Jr.
Smith, who is one of the top candidates for National Player of the Year and All-America status, is averaging 16.0 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game, while shooting almost 40.0 percent from 3-point range.
In Big Ten games, he is averaging 17.0 points, 8.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, on pace to set the Big Ten record for assists average by a significant margin.
Smith has already set the Purdue record for assists in a career with 696 and needs just four assists to become the first player in NCAA history to have at least 1,250 points, 700 assists and 500 rebounds by the end of his junior campaign.
He already ranks second on Purdue's single-season assists chart (251) and is the only player in Big Ten history to have two seasons of 250 or more assists. He is one of three players in NCAA history (Oakland's Kay Felder, East Tennessee State's Keith Jennings) to have two seasons of at least 450 points, 250 assists, 125 rebounds and 60 steals, and is only joined by Michigan State's Magic Johnson (1979) as Big Ten players to reach those marks in a single-season.
Smith has posted eight double-doubles this season and has 21 career games of double-digit assists, the most in Big Ten history. He owns four games of at least 20 points and 10 assists. Prior to this season, Purdue had two 20-point, 10-assist performances in program history.
Smith and the Boilermakers face Rutgers on Tuesday.