6 days ago
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MADISON, WI — Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter considers Braden Smith's Big Ten career assists record a testament to more than the point guard's longevity and the talent surrounding him.
It also speaks to what Smith can accomplish when his Boilermaker career is over.
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"A lot of people who want to go past college and be a professional, it's like, 'What do you do great on a professional level?'" Painter said.
"He passes better than anybody in college basketball. We sit there and watch it - it's amazing he didn't have another high-major offer. Because he's a winner, and he's always won. He's always won, no matter what he's done."
With his 10th of 12 assists Saturday in an 89-73 victory at Wisconsin, Smith passed former Michigan State guard Cassius Winston to become the Big Ten's all-time leader.
He has 17 conference games remaining - plus Big Ten and NCAA tournament games after that - to push that lead out even farther.
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"It's a very historical league," Painter said. "If you look back a long, long time, there's been a lot of great players - a lot of great players at that position.
"And that's what I told our guys in there - to break that record and still have 17 conference games and the Big Ten tournament, the NCAA tournament in front of you, just speaks volumes to what he's been able to accomplish."
Smith will use those remaining games to take aim at Bobby Hurley's all-time NCAA Division I record of 1,076.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Matt Painter reacts to Braden Smith's Big Ten assists record, Purdue career
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