Purdue Guard Braden Smith Named Preseason All-American
Purdue junior guard Braden Smith is already receiving some preseason accolades. He was named a second-team preseason All-American by the Blue Ribbon Yearbook.
Smith is coming off a spectacular sophomore campaign during Purdue's run to the National Championship Game in the 2023-24 season. He averaged 12.0 points, 7.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 44.1% from the floor and 43.1% from 3-point range.
With Zach Edey gone, Smith is expected to be in the running for Big Ten Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season. College basketball expert Jon Rothstein projected the talented guard to win the award and help the Boilermakers claim a third straight regular season conference title.
🇺🇸 Stacking honors.
— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) September 5, 2024
Braden Smith named a Blue Ribbon Yearbook preseason All-American. pic.twitter.com/WP1vZY5qE6
Following last season, Smith was an All-American honorable mention by the Associated Press and was a first-team All-Big Ten guard.
Smith has played an integral role in Purdue's success since arriving on campus ahead of the 2022-23 season. He's started in all 74 games in his career and has already accounted for 808 total points, 445 assists, 373 rebounds and 105 steals.
Purdue has won two regular season Big Ten titles, a Big Ten Tournament championship and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons. Last year, the Boilermakers made their first trip to the National Championship Game since 1969.
Smith has already proven he's one of the top guards in the nation during his first two years in West Lafayette. He's only going to get better with another offseason under his belt.
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