In West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue point guard Braden Smith joins an elite group as the fifth player in Division I history to record 1,000 career assists. He reached the mark during Thursday night’s game against No. 13 Michigan State with his sixth assist of the contest.
Key Moments in the Game
Smith notched his first assist on Purdue’s opening basket, a 3-pointer from C.J. Cox. His milestone sixth assist came with 6:43 remaining in the first half, setting up Trey Kaufman-Renn for a basket that officials ruled as goaltending.
Historical Context and Records
Bobby Hurley from Duke (1990-93) holds the Division I record with 1,076 assists. Smith, entering the game averaging 8.7 assists per contest, earlier this season surpassed Michigan State’s Cassius Winston (2017-20) to claim the Big Ten career assists record.
Smith’s Accomplishments
The 6-foot senior earned consensus first-team All-American honors last season and secured the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top collegiate point guard. Purdue has three regular-season games remaining before the Big Ten tournament.
