A large segment of college basketball fans went off over Purdue basketball point guard Braden Smith being named to First-team All-American by the Associated Press. The Boilermakers’ floor general has been phenomenal this year and a candidate for this accolade the entire year. Smith has shattered several records in his junior year en route to becoming Big Ten Player of the Year. Meanwhile, Purdue basketball has had a solid season in the post-Zach Edey era and earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Despite these accolades, social media was buzzing with unhappy fans on Smith’s inclusion.
Braden Smith ew bro https://t.co/Cb14NrpTHD
—
(@07Maroney) March 18, 2025
Braden Smith
https://t.co/j7WfwUeoYS
— YWG Greg (@phillyruinedme) March 18, 2025
Lost all credibility when i seen Braden smith https://t.co/rpCYgAyuv8
— Scam Likely (@185___BIHHHH) March 18, 2025
Smith is good not first team good though. https://t.co/FFwD6jrpV0
— Husk (@Husk_3) March 18, 2025
Smith is good not first team good though. https://t.co/FFwD6jrpV0
— Husk (@Husk_3) March 18, 2025
Braden Smith deserved this honor and will now gear his focus on the NCAA Tournament
For his junior year, Smith has averaged 16.1 points, 8.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game. That assist stat was second in the country overall, and the steal metric was second in the Big Ten. This season also saw Smith become the first player in college basketball history to record 1,250 points, 700 assists, and 500 rebounds by the end of his junior year. Therefore, regardless of the fan trepidation, this was a fitting achievement for the star point guard as he gears his focus on the NCAA Tournament.
The Boilermakers are currently 22-11 overall and 13-7 in Big Ten play. Purdue basketball is the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region and will take on No. 13 High Point on Thursday. When it comes to The Big Dance, the duo backcourt of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer has been through a lot. Both started in the Boilermakers’ heartbreaking opening-round loss to No. 16-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson. And the two were key contributors on the team that made it to the National Championship game last season.
Another player who has been on the roster over the past three years is junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn. The Sellersburg, Indiana native has gone from a solid role player to one of the best players in the country this season. Kaufman-Renn leads the Boilermakers with 20.2 points and 6.2 rebounds on a staggering 59.9% from the field. This trio is ultimately looking for another deep run in March and has the upside to surprise a lot of doubters. And Braden Smith now has an additional chip on his shoulder as he attempts to finish a phenomenal junior year on an even higher note.
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