Braden Smith sets Big Ten's assist record, eyes D1 mark - ESPN

MADISON, Wis. — Purdue guard Braden Smith reacted to becoming the Big Ten's career assists leader as though it were just another step rather than a culmination.

The 6-foot senior still has other goals in mind.

«Obviously, it's something cool to see and be a part of,» Smith said after scoring 14 points and breaking the conference assists record Saturday night during No. 5 Purdue's 89-73 victory over Wisconsin. «But at the end of the day, I'm here for something bigger than that, and that's to win a national championship. That's really our main focus.»

Smith had 12 assists against Wisconsin to increase his career total to 893. Cassius Winston had held the Big Ten record after compiling 890 assists for Michigan State from 2017-20.

It's quite an accomplishment for a player who wasn't ranked among the nation's top 150 recruits coming out of high school.

«He's special,» Purdue coach Matt Painter said about Smith. «He's elite. A lot of people who want to go past college and be a professional, it's like, 'What do you do great on a professional level?' He passes better than anybody in college basketball. We sit there and watch. It's amazing he didn't have another high-major offer because he's a winner.»

Smith has another personal goal he's still chasing.

«Obviously this one's out of the way, but I'm aiming for the bigger one — that along with winning a national championship,» he said.

Smith later clarified that his reference to «the bigger one» was the Division I career assists record that has stood for three decades.

Bobby Hurley owns that record after racking up 1,076 assists for Duke from 1990-93. Smith is 183 assists shy of that record for now with 17 games left in this regular season, along with however many games Purdue ends