Purdue Signee Braden Smith Named 2022 Indiana Mr. Basketball
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Westfield High School guard Braden Smith, a Purdue basketball signee in the team's upcoming recruiting class, has been named the 2022 Indiana Mr. Basketball.
He is the 13th recipient of Indiana Mr. Basketball to play at Purdue and the 15th player named Mr. Basketball in the program's history.
By receiving the honor, the Boilermakers will now welcome back-to-back Mr. Basketballs to campus for the first time since the trio of Dennis Brady, Billy Keller and Rick Mount between 1964 and 1966.
Indiana Mr. Basketball ➡️ @bsmith72503.
— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) April 2, 2022
✔️: First time since the mid-60s that Purdue has had back-to-back Indiana Mr. Basketball winners. pic.twitter.com/4YRdmYj851
Smith edged future Purdue teammate Fletcher Loyer of Homestead High School. Last year, Caleb Furst of Fort Wayne's Blackhawk Christian High School was named the state's Mr. Basketball.
The 6-foot recruit averaged 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game during his four years of high school basketball. As a senior, he put up 18.3 points, 6.0 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 21 games.
The Shamrocks had a memorable season, ending the year with an overall record of 22-7, which included a sectional championship. Westfield, led by Smith, took down defending state champion Carmel High School in the sectional title and Homestead in the regional semifinal during its run.
With the Boilermakers, Smith will be the third player on the roster with the title of Mr. Basketball, alongside Furst and 2020 Pennlysvania Mr. Basketball Ethan Morton.
Stories Related to Purdue Basketball
- FLETCHER LOYER WINS NATIONAL 3-POINT CONTEST: Fletcher Loyer averaged 26.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game last season. In two years with Homestead High School, he recorded 1,360 points. CLICK HERE
- FLETCHER LOYER NAMED INDIANA GATORADE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Fletcher Loyer was named the 2022 Indiana Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year. He, Caleb Furst and Trey Kaufman-Renn are the last three recipients of the honor, and they will play at Purdue together next season. CLICK HERE
D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.