WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue senior point guard Braden Smith has been named one of five finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation’s top point guard, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.
Smith, who won last year’s honor, is looking to become the first two-time winner of the award. He is joined in the final five by Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr., Arizona’s Jaden Bradley, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., and Houston’s Kingston Flemings.
This marks the third straight season that Smith has been a finalist.
Smith is having a sensational senior season, averaging 14.9 points, 8.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals while shooting 46.2 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from 3-point range and 82.3 percent from the free throw line. In conference play only, Smith averaged 16.5 points, 8.4 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals while shooting 48.0 percent from the field, 40.4 percent from deep and 88.3 percent from the free throw line. He is 1-of-6 players nationally to stash splits of at least 48-40-88 in conference games only.
Smith is the only player in the country to have at least 450 points, 250 assists and 100 rebounds this season and is the first player in NCAA history to have at least three seasons of 450 points, 250 assists and 100 rebounds.
The 450-250-100 splits have been accomplished just eight times in Big Ten history. Smith has accounted for three of them.
Smith is one of the most-decorated point guards in NCAA history, being named a first-team All-American and Cousy Award winner during the 2024-25 season. For his career, he is the only player in NCAA history to have at least 1,800 points and 1,000 career assists and when you add in his 648 rebounds, Smith is still the only player in NCAA history with even 1,500 points, 1,000 assists and 500 rebounds.
He is the Big Ten’s all-time leader in assists (1,029) and needs 48 assists to become the NCAA all-time leader in career assists.