WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue junior guard Braden Smith has been named a semifinalist for the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy given annually to the nation's top player, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today.
Smith is one of 10 players on the list and is one of two players from the Big Ten to be named a semifinalist (Wisconsin's John Tonje).
Earlier this week, Smith was named the Big Ten Player of the Week and a first-team All-American by The Sporting News.
The 22-10 Boilermakers will face Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals tonight at 9 p.m. ET, in Indianapolis.
Naismith Trophy Semifinalist – Braden Smith, Junior, Guard
Smith is one of 10 players on the list and is one of two players from the Big Ten to be named a semifinalist (Wisconsin's John Tonje).
Earlier this week, Smith was named the Big Ten Player of the Week and a first-team All-American by The Sporting News.
The 22-10 Boilermakers will face Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals tonight at 9 p.m. ET, in Indianapolis.
Naismith Trophy Semifinalist – Braden Smith, Junior, Guard
- Named the Big Ten Player of the Year and first-team All-American by the Sporting News.
- Averages 16.2 points, 8.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game, but saw his averages increase to 17.4 points, 8.9 assists and 4.6 rebounds during Big Ten play.
- Set the Big Ten record for assists in conference play only with 175, smashing the previous record set by Michigan State's Cassius Winston (157) by 18 assists – almost a full assist per game.
- Became the second player in Big Ten history, joining Michigan State's Magic Johnson, to register 450 points, 250 assists, 125 rebounds and 60 steals in a season. Smith has reached those numbers in each of the last two seasons.
- Became the school's career assists leader, now with 726 assists in just 106 career games.
- Needs just two rebounds and one steal to become the second player in NCAA history to have 500 points, 275 assists, 150 rebounds and 75 steals in a season, joining Georgia Tech standout Kenny Anderson (1989-90) as members of that group.
- Is on pace to be the first player since California's Jason Kidd (1993-94) to average at least 16.0 points, 8.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.
- Smith's 726 assists (and counting) are the seventh most for a player in NCAA history by the end of his junior season. He already ranks sixth in Big Ten conference history in career assists.
- Recorded four 20-point, 10-assist games this season. Prior to this year, Purdue had two 20-point, 10-assist games in school history – the last one coming in the 1987-88 season.
- His nine point-assist double-doubles are the third most for a high-major player in the last 20 seasons (14 – Oklahoma's Trae Young, 2018; 10 – Kansas State's Markquis Nowell, 2023).
- Smith has posted two games of 30 or more points this season (34 vs. Toledo; 31 vs. Iowa).
- Has 12 games of 10 or more assists this season, and 22 games of 10 or more assists for his career. His 22 career games of 10 or more assists are the most in Big Ten history. The 22, 10-assist games are the fourth most by a player in his junior season or younger in the last 20 years (Kay Felder – 32; Kendall Marshall – 23; Ja Morant – 23).