Purdue point guard Braden Smith has shown superb leadership since arriving from Westfield High School in 2022. The 6’0″ playmaker has led the Boilermakers to three straight NCAA Tournaments, including a runner-up finish in the 2024 National Championship.
His selfless mentality and ability to make his teammates look better have helped Purdue recapture the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll after the second week of the college basketball season. One of the players that Smith helped look great is Israeli freshman Omer Mayer, whose offseason message to the senior guard provided a glimpse of his true character as a teammate.
What Was the Message Omer Mayer Sent to Braden Smith That Left the Senior Point Guard Impressed?
Smith explored the personality of the former Maccabi Tel-Aviv player on the Nov. 14 episode of the Running Point with Braden Smith podcast, which featured Sleepers Media’s Carter Elliott and Greg Waddell. The Purdue point guard discussed texting assistant coach P.J. Thompson about the program’s new recruits. Thompson responded and asked him to check out Mayer through his Israeli league highlights.
Building on this, the senior guard was initially impressed with Mayer’s video and said he’s seeing the European version of himself. He then asked Thompson how they could get in touch, and the assistant coach shared Mayer’s WhatsApp profile.
Their communication quickly turned friendly, and by the time Mayer visited Purdue, Smith had the chance to speak with him directly, saying, “Bro, like I’m going to be completely honest. Like, we need you. Like, be awesome to have you. I’m looking forward to having you and you would definitely be a huge help to this team.”
Smith recalled the summary of Mayer’s lengthy text in response to his message, which had the playmaker admiring his teammate’s emotional maturity and willingness to help Purdue win every game possible this season.
“Dude, like I’m not here to come here and take your spot, take your minutes, do anything to ruin your legacy or what you’ve built,” Mayer told Smith. “I just want to come here and win and play alongside you.”
Smith noted that the freshman’s statement was too big for a young, up-and-coming player to express. It gave him the impression that Mayer is not here to gain experience but rather aiming to help Purdue win its first national championship after two near misses.
“I never thought some anybody would try to do that,” he said. “But like hearing that from him saying, ‘Dude, I just want to come play with you because I watch you play and I love your game,’ meant a lot to me. I was like ‘All right, well, let’s make it happen, dude.'”
Braden Smith, Omer Mayer help Purdue reclaim AP No. 1 ranking
The 2024-25 First Team All-American has continued to help Purdue be one of the top teams in the nation. He led the Boilermakers to a 4-0 start this season. This stretch included an 87-80 road win against No. 8 Alabama on Nov. 13. In four games, Smith has tallied averages of 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 1.0 steals, helping Purdue maintain its high ranking.
MORE: Braden Smith’s Absence Highlights Omer Mayer’s Real Value As Purdue HC Matt Painter Weighs In
Meanwhile, Mayer is coming off a career game where he tallied 14 points, four rebounds, six assists, and two steals in 23 minutes in the Boilermakers’ 97-79 win over the Akron Zips on Sunday. His performance raised his averages to 7.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, and 2.8 apg this season.
Their offensive contributions, plus the return of power forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, helped the Boilermakers reclaim their No. 1 ranking in the AP media poll after losing it to Houston last week.
Purdue will have a busy Week 3, as they come to the Bahamas for the 2025 Bahamas Championship. They will compete against Memphis, Wake Forest, and No. 15 Texas Tech in the event, which will be held on Nov. 20-21 at the Baha Mar Convention Center in Nassau. The mini-tournament would help the team polish their teamwork as they delve deep into the 2025-26 season.
