WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – One day after being named the Big Ten Player of the Week, Purdue point guard Braden Smith was selected as one of 25 players to the Wooden Award mid-season watch list, whittled down from 50 players named to the preseason watch list.
Smith was one of five Big Ten players to make the list, joined by Rutgers' freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, Maryland freshman Derik Queen and Illinois freshman Kasparas Jakucionis.
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 recently surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career and is the only player in Big Ten history with 1,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds in his first three years.
Smith and the No. 20-ranked Boilermakers travel to Rutgers for a 6 p.m. ET, tip on Thursday.
Smith was one of five Big Ten players to make the list, joined by Rutgers' freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, Maryland freshman Derik Queen and Illinois freshman Kasparas Jakucionis.
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 recently surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career and is the only player in Big Ten history with 1,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds in his first three years.
Smith and the No. 20-ranked Boilermakers travel to Rutgers for a 6 p.m. ET, tip on Thursday.