Texas faces assists leader Braden Smith, No. 1 offense Purdue in Sweet 16

It’s strength on strength on Thursday at the SAP Center in San Jose as the No. 2 seed Purdue Boilermakers face off against the No. 11 seed Texas Longhorns, pitting the nation’s No. 1 offense in adjusted efficiency against an offensive attack that ranked among the best in the country, took a late-season nose dive, but recovered over the last two NCAA Tournament games.

But if head coach Sean Miller’s team achieved its late-season elite status in some unconventional ways, the Boilermakers are the best because of a record-setting senior point guard who helped notch the fourth-best assist rate nationally, a low turnover rate, shooting efficiency inside and outside the arc, and strong offensive rebounding.

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In the first-round matchup against Queens University, Purdue point guard Braden Smith broke the all-time assists record held by Duke’s Bobby Hurley since 1993 and is now playing in his 24th postseason game, including Big Ten Tournaments.

Hurley played in 20 NCAA Tournament games in his storied career, leading the Blue Devils to a runner-up finish and two national titles before Duke bowed out in the second round in 1993.

“There’s a reason that that record has stood the test of time. You go and break that record, I think that says everything about his ability to pass, play make, how he makes his teammates better. He’s one of the best in the game, and a big, big part of why Purdue is so great offensively,” Miller said on Monday.

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Leading the country in assists, Smith ranks second in assists per game at 9.0, a career high for the in-state product who only held offers from Appalachian State, Toledo, and Montana in the 2022 recruiting class. Purdue’s offer, which prompted an immediate commitment from the son of two basketball coaches, pre-empted interest from Gonzaga, Indiana, Oregon, and Villanova.

“He’s the ultimate point guard who makes everybody around him better. He made Zach Edey better. He makes [Fletcher] Loyer better. He makes…

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Publish date : 2026-03-26 16:27:00

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