Braden Smith Named B1G ‘Player of the Year’

The point guard for the Purdue makes it three in a row for the Boilermakers

Braden Smith has been named the B1G’s Men’s Basketball ‘Player of the Year,’ following one of the most outstanding seasons in B1G history. This marks the third consecutive Boilermaker to be named the conference’s player of the year following Zach Edey’s back to back awards in 2023 and 2024. This is the first time in B1G history for a single program to have three consecutive winners. Purdue has now won four of the last nine B1G Player of the Year awards and five of the last fifteen.

Smith had an amazing season from start to finish while averaging 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 2.4 steals while playing 36.6 minutes per game. His 8.8 assists per game are a league single season record while his 2.4 steals ranked second overall. The junior point guard saved some of his best play for the end of the season with a near triple double in the final game of the season against the Illinois Fighting Illini. In that final game, Smith went for 18 points, 12 assists, and 9 rebounds but also averaged 21.3 points, 9.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 steals over the final three games.

Smith’s attention will now turn directly toward the B1G Tourney with the Boilermakers playing the winner of the first round matchup between 11th seeded Rutgers and 14th seeded USC on Thursday at 9:00pm. The Boilers will be looking to play their way into a possible third line seed as they rank 14th in the NET rankings and can improve their standing with Quad 1 victories lined up Friday through Sunday.