WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After a week of historic performances, Purdue junior guard Braden Smith was named the Big Ten Player of the Week for his role in three Boilermaker victories over the last two weeks.
It marks his first career Big Ten Player of the Week honor and second this season for a Boilermaker (Trey Kaufman-Renn; Dec. 2). The Big Ten used games from Dec. 24 to Jan. 5, for this week's selection.
In wins over Toledo, Minnesota and Northwestern, Smith averaged 25.0 points, 9.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting 27-of-55 (.491) from the field and 14-of-32 (.438) from 3-point range. He surpassed 1,000 career points in the win over Minnesota and became the first Big Ten player to have recorded 1,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds in the player's first three seasons, still with at least 17 games to play this season.
In the win over Toledo on Dec. 29, Smith scored a career-high 34 points with 12 assists, becoming the first player since Oklahoma's Trae Young to reach those numbers in a regulation game.
Then in the victory over Minnesota to ring in the New Year, he recorded 20 points, 10 assists and six rebounds with no turnovers, becoming the first Big Ten player with 20 points, 10 assists and five rebounds against zero turnovers since Draymond Green in March 2012.
Finally in the win over Northwestern, Smith scored 22 points with seven assists and six rebounds.
For the season, Smith is averaging 15.4 points, 8.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game, leading the league in both assists per game (8.6) and 3-pointers made (42). He is on pace to become the first player nationally since Murray State's Ja Morant in 2018-19, and third player this century, to average at least 15.0 points, 8.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He is shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range and 88.6 percent from the free throw line.
Prior to this season, Purdue had two games with 20 points and 10 assists in school history. Smith has reached those marks three times in the last six games and he has 14 career point-assist double-doubles, all of which have come in the last 53 games he has played in.
Smith and the No. 20-ranked Boilermakers travel to Rutgers for a 6 p.m. ET, tip on Thursday.
It marks his first career Big Ten Player of the Week honor and second this season for a Boilermaker (Trey Kaufman-Renn; Dec. 2). The Big Ten used games from Dec. 24 to Jan. 5, for this week's selection.
In wins over Toledo, Minnesota and Northwestern, Smith averaged 25.0 points, 9.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, while shooting 27-of-55 (.491) from the field and 14-of-32 (.438) from 3-point range. He surpassed 1,000 career points in the win over Minnesota and became the first Big Ten player to have recorded 1,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds in the player's first three seasons, still with at least 17 games to play this season.
In the win over Toledo on Dec. 29, Smith scored a career-high 34 points with 12 assists, becoming the first player since Oklahoma's Trae Young to reach those numbers in a regulation game.
Then in the victory over Minnesota to ring in the New Year, he recorded 20 points, 10 assists and six rebounds with no turnovers, becoming the first Big Ten player with 20 points, 10 assists and five rebounds against zero turnovers since Draymond Green in March 2012.
Finally in the win over Northwestern, Smith scored 22 points with seven assists and six rebounds.
For the season, Smith is averaging 15.4 points, 8.6 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game, leading the league in both assists per game (8.6) and 3-pointers made (42). He is on pace to become the first player nationally since Murray State's Ja Morant in 2018-19, and third player this century, to average at least 15.0 points, 8.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He is shooting 42.9 percent from 3-point range and 88.6 percent from the free throw line.
Prior to this season, Purdue had two games with 20 points and 10 assists in school history. Smith has reached those marks three times in the last six games and he has 14 career point-assist double-doubles, all of which have come in the last 53 games he has played in.
Smith and the No. 20-ranked Boilermakers travel to Rutgers for a 6 p.m. ET, tip on Thursday.