WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue senior point guard Braden Smith was voted a second-team All-American by the Associated Press, and was joined by Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer on the NABC All-Great Lakes District team.
It marks the second, second-team All-American honor for Smith after being named a second-team selection by The Sporting News.
Meanwhile, Kaufman-Renn and Smith were on the first-team all-Great Lakes District team, while Loyer was tabbed to the second team.
Smith, a first-team All-Big Ten selection and the Big Ten Tournament MVP, is having an outstanding senior season. He is averaging 14.0 points, 9.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game, leading the country and setting the Big Ten single-season record with 317 assists. He is the first high-major player to average at least 14.0 points, 9.0 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game since LSU’s Randy Livingston in 1995.
He is one of two players in NCAA history to have at least 300 assists in two different seasons (Southern’s Avery Johnson; 1987 and 1988) and is the only player in NCAA history to have three seasons of at least 450 points, 250 assists and 125 rebounds.
Smith is just two assists away from becoming the NCAA’s all-time leader in career assists. Entering the NCAA Tournament with 1,075 career assists, Smith is about to surpass Duke legend Bobby Hurley, who holds the record with 1,076.
Smith is the only player in NCAA history to have at least 1,500 points, 1,000 assists and 500 career rebounds, currently with 1,865 points, 1,075 assists and 661 rebounds.
Kaufman-Renn was named a first-team all-Great Lakes District selection after averaging 13.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He is 1-of-2 high-major players (Duke’s Cameron Boozer) to average 13.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and shoot over 55.0 percent from the field.
Kaufman-Renn currently ranks 24th on Purdue’s career scoring list and 14th on the rebounds list, and is 1-of-6 players in Purdue history to have at least 1,500 points, 700 rebounds and 225 assists. He was at his best in the Big Ten Tournament, averaging 15.3 points and 7.0 rebounds, while shooting 69.2 percent from the field.
Loyer was voted to the second team after averaging 13.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game and shooting 42.1 percent from 3-point range and 86.2 percent from the free throw line. Since February 1, Loyer is 50-of-104 (.481) from 3-point range and the 50, 3-pointers during that span are the fourth most in the country in that span.
Loyer enters the NCAA Tournament having scored at least 10 points in 14 of the last 15 games, including seven straight games. Over the last 15 games, he is averaging 15.9 points, 2.6 assists and 2.5 rebounds.
The Boilermakers will battle Queens University in the NCAA Tournament first-round game on Friday in St. Louis, Missouri, tipping at 7:35 p.m. ET / 6:35 p.m. CT.