Purdue senior guard Braden Smith broke the lads’s NCAA Division I report for profession assists within the first half of an eventual 104-71 win over No. 15 seed Queens College on Friday within the first spherical of the NCAA Match. Smith handed former Duke star Bobby Hurley after discovering Trey Kaufman-Renn for a bucket with 12:11 remaining within the first half for the 1,077th help in his profession. He set the report after tying it minutes earlier than, after shelling out an help to large man Oscar Cluff.
Smith now has 1,083 assists and counting throughout what will probably be his closing season of school basketball after ending with eight within the blowout win. The No. 2 seed Boilermakers face both No. 10 seed Missouri or No. 7 seed Miami within the second spherical on Sunday.
Smith, a four-year participant at Purdue, has turn out to be a rarity within the trendy faculty basketball panorama as a result of he stayed on the similar college for everything of his profession. He’s averaging a career-high 9.1 assists per recreation this season, which surpassed his mark of 8.7 assists per recreation final yr. He dished out 11 assists throughout Purdue’s win over Michigan in final weekend’s Huge Ten title recreation.
Since arriving forward of the 2022-23 marketing campaign, Smith has been a serious constructing block for this system. Throughout the 2023-24 season, he helped Purdue attain the Remaining 4 for the primary time in 44 years, serving as a co-star subsequent to former nationwide participant of the yr Zach Edey.
NCAAA Division I all-time profession help leaders
| Rank | Participant | Staff (Years) | Whole Assists |
| 1 | Braden Smith | Purdue (2022–current) | 1,083-x |
| 2 | Bobby Hurley | Duke (1989–1993) | 1,076 |
| 3 | Chris Corchiani | NC State (1987–1991) | 1,038 |
| 4 | Ed Cota | North Carolina (1996–2000) | 1,030 |
| 5 | Jason Brickman | LIU Brooklyn (2010–2014) | 1,009 |
| 6 | Keith Jennings | East Tennessee State (1987–1991) | 983 |
| 7 | Steve Blake | Maryland (1999–2003) | 972 |
| 8 | Sherman Douglas | Syracuse (1985–1989) | 960 |
| 9 | Tony Miller | Marquette (1991–1995) | 956 |
| 10 | Aaron Miles | Kansas (2001–2005) | 954 |
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Hurley, a four-year participant at Duke beneath coach Mike Krzyzewski, received two nationwide titles with this system in 1991 and 1992 and was named Remaining 4 Most Excellent Participant in 1992. He held the all-time help report for nearly 33 years earlier than Smith was in a position to break it through the NCAA Match.
