Matt Painter and Purdue found out very early on that Braden Smith was here to play. Not only was he named a starter, something that Matt Painter rarely entrusts to freshmen, but he became a leader on the team and a floor general to boot. In the season opener against Milwaukee, Smith set a Purdue freshmen record with 7 steals. Two games later, Smith scored 20 points against Marquette and then two more games later, 14 against Gonzaga in a run the propelled Purdue up the college rankings. Alongside fellow freshman, Fletcher Loyer, the duo was doing things not seen since the Baby Boilers era at Purdue.
Countdown to Purdue Basketball: Braden Smith
