ST. LOUIS (WISH) — Purdue senior guard Braden Smith etched his name in history on Friday, surpassing Bobby Hurley to become the all-time assist leader in NCAA Division I men’s basketball. Hurley’s record of 1,076 assists had stood since 1993, but with his 1,077th career assist, Braden S mith now holds the honor. The record breaker came on a pick-and-roll with senior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn. Kaufman-Renn set the screen a few feet behind the three-point line at the top of the key. Smith dribbled to his right before hitting Kaufman-Renn with a smooth one-handed bounce pass at the free throw line. Kaufman-Renn dribbled once, stepped through the defense, and got the lay in to go off the glass, plus the foul. Purdue fans in the stands held up signs with “Assist King” written on them. Some of Smith’s teammates shared their excitement for the potential for Smith to break the record leading up to their game against Queens in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. “I think it’ll be crazy,” Purdue sophomore guard C.J. Cox said. “I think the crowd’s definitely going to go crazy. I mean, this is a big thing for him and a great accomplishment. I’m just glad that I’m going to be around for him to do it.” “Just to think about how many players and which are the players that have been playing or have played in this league, man, he’s special” Purdue freshman guard Omer Mayer said. “I’m really excited for him to break it. I’m really happy for him that he’s going to break it. But I know his goal is to win a championship. He deserves it” “I’m proud of him,” Purdue sophomore guard Gicarri Harris said. “It’s going to be a special moment. He’s worked really hard this whole season, whole career, whole time he’s been at Purdue. So yeah, I’m happy for him.” Smith recorded 153 assists his freshman season, 292 assists his sophomore season, 313 assists his junior year, and 319 so far in his senior year. Smith broke Purdue’s all-time assist record on February 28, 2025 against UCLA. ...read more read less