Purdue is now starting to show their might in the March Madness. After securing two commanding wins against Grambling and Utah State, the Boilermakers put up another impressive display when they knocked out the Bulldogs in the regional semi-finals. While all eyes were on their 7 ft 4 in Canadian giant Zach Edey, it was the sophomore guard Braden Smith who grabbed most of the headlines.

The 20-year-old has been a worthy inclusion for Matt Painter. In his debut season, he featured in all 35 games. Seemingly, he managed to register an impressive 9.7 points, 4.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. In addition to this, the 6 ft guard was only the third freshman after Magic Johnson and DeAngelo Russell to bag 340 points, 150 assists and 140 rebounds in a single season. As a result, Smith made it to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team and also got an honorable mention All-Big Ten.

Following this, he made significant upgrades in his game in the current season. He started all 36 games so far for Purdue in which he averaged 12.3 points and grabbed 5.8 rebounds per contest. Moreover, he became the best distributor in the team and the 4th best overall by dishing out 7.6 assists per contest. Another noteworthy insight this year was the improvement in his accuracy from beyond the arc. While he was burying 37.6% of his shots previously, the dynamic N0.3 had 44.2% control over his attempts this time around.

Zach Edey’s Commanding Double Double Propels Purdue to Elite 8 Ending Gonzaga’s March Madness Dream

However, the one night that defined him as a stellar baller was Purdue’s Sweet 16 fixture against the Bulldogs.

Braden Smith announces himself on the big stage

The reputation of any athlete is made or broken in big-match situations. Being aware of what was at stake, Braden Smith decided that it was time to show everyone his true potential. In a crucial regional semi-final against Gonzaga, Smith unleashed himself and almost delivered a triple-double. His staggering total of 14 points, 15 assists(seventh-highest assist total) and eight rebounds was a peek at the tremendous talent he possesses. Further, his record-breaking 15 assists are the highest by anyone in a Purdue jersey in an NCAA tournament game.

Undeniably, the 13th recipient of Indiana’s Mr. Basketball, Braden Smith is a generational talent. The kind of skills he has in his arsenal are enough to cause a lot of problems for any defense. Not only is he an effective scorer, but he also knows how to create opportunities for his teammates. Surely, it will be worth a watch what he brings to the table for Purdue next.

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Do Zach Edey’s Purdue Have the Easiest Path to Final Four? Can They Dominate March Madness?

What are your thoughts on this exceptional sophomore guard? Do you think he has what it takes to lead Purdue to national glory?