Purdue point guard Braden Smith notched 12 assists in Saturday’s 89-73 win over Wisconsin, surpassing the Big Ten Conference record of 890 dimes previously held by Michigan State’s Cassius Winston.
When Spartans coach Tom Izzo heard about this record-setting achievement, he delivered a heartfelt message to congratulate Smith on Sunday.
Tom Izzo Congratulates Braden Smith for Breaking the Big Ten Assists Mark
Before the game, Smith was nine assists away from tying Winston’s mark of 890 and ten from breaking it. He tied the record with a kickout to Gicarri Harris, who knocked down a 3-pointer with 12:59 remaining, giving Purdue a 69-48 edge.
Just 3 1/2 minutes later, Smith broke the assists mark by driving to the basket and dishing to Oscar Cluff for a three-point play. Following this play, Purdue fans at Kohl Center gave Smith a standing ovation and began chanting his name as he set the new record.
The 6’0″ guard added two more assists to finish with 893. After the game, Michigan State head coach Izzo congratulated Smith on this remarkable achievement via social media.
“Hey Braden, Tom Izzo here at Michigan State. I just want to be one of the first to congratulate you on breaking the all-time assist record. We had the last two guys in Cassius Winston and Mateen Cleaves that own that record that you know passed by. But I can’t think of a more deserving guy or a better guy to pass the torch to than you,” he said.
“I knew they’re going to be excited for you. I’ve been a big Purdue fan my whole life with coach (Gene) Keady with coach (Matt) Painter and I want to thank you for the way you’ve handled yourself and represented the Big Ten and congratulations once again. Well deserved,” the former national champion coach added.
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Smith scored 14 points to be one of five Purdue players who scored in double figures. Fletcher Loyer led the scoring blitz with 20 points, while C.J. Cox added 14. Cluff added 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Trey Kaufman-Renn finished with 11 for the No. 5 Boilermakers, who improved to 13-1 (3-0 in the Big Ten).
After the game, he was asked about the record-setting achievement and said: “Obviously, this one’s out of the way, but I’m aiming for the bigger one … that along with winning a national championship.”
The guard was talking about the Division I career assists record held by Duke playmaker Bobby Hurley, who compiled 1,076 assists during his time with the Blue Devils from 1990 to 1993. He is 183 dimes behind the record with 17 games remaining in the regular season, plus the number of games Purdue will play in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Smith currently averages 9.6 assists per game, topping all Division I players in that category this season. If he wants to go for Hurley’s record, he needs to average 10.76 apg to tie it and 10.82 dimes per contest to surpass it.
Smith has the time to put himself at the top of the all-time Division I mark in assists. He just needs to find the right opportunities where he can give an outlet pass or a dish to an open teammate to count it as a dime and reach his ultimate goal in his final season.
