Braden Smith Breaks Assists Record in NCAA Tournament

0:00On March 21st, Purdue Boilermakers kicked off their NCAA tournament run against Queens University of Charlotte Royals on Friday. Right at the start, Point Guard Braden Smith etched his name in college basketball history by breaking Bobby Hurley's all-time assist record. Hurley had held that market at 1076 assists from his days with Duke Blue Devils back in 1993. Smith reached the milestone despite so many players bolting early for pro leagues these days. Fans and analysts are buzzing about Smith's impact as a two-time consensus first, team All-American. He's been a full-time starter since arriving at Purdue as a true freshman in 2022, playing at least 35 games each season. This year, his elite play fueled Purdue's number two seed with averages of 14 points, 3.6 rebounds, 9.1 assists. Career best, 1.8 steals, plus solid shooting from the field and beyond the arc. Purdue looks strong to move on, giving Smith plenty of chances to boost their record even higher through March madness.