How Purdue basketball landed its current point guard thanks to advice of a former one

WEST LAFAYETTE − It’s 2020 and Purdue basketball is in the market for a future point guard, but a global pandemic makes recruiting almost impossible.

Matt Painter and his staff are unable to hit the road and make in-person evaluations, so the Boilermakers tapped into their network.

When one of Purdue’s all-time great players tells you there’s a guy you need to see, it’s worth a listen.

That former standout was record-setting point guard Bruce Parkinson and the player he was pitching to Purdue’s coaches was Westfield’s Braden Smith.

Parkinson’s son, Austin, and Smith’s father, Dustin, were high school teammates at Northwestern outside of Kokomo, so naturally, Bruce Parkinson had kept tabs on Braden Smith’s emerging basketball career.

Again, it was Bruce Parkinson on the receiving end of a conversation when Braden Smith was nearly set on his decision to commit to the Purdue Boilermakers.

“Before I committed here, that’s who I reached out to,” Smith said. “I just said, ‘is this the right thing to do?’ Just asked him questions. He was super supportive and he’s been on my side this entire time.”

More: Braden Smith’s career night passing propels Purdue basketball past Northwestern in OT

The ties that bind the two drew another thread on Wednesday night when Smith helped lead second-ranked Purdue over Northwestern in overtime 105-96.

Smith totaled 16 assists.

It is the second most in a single game in Purdue history.

The most?

Bruce Parkinson, who had 18 against Minnesota on March 8, 1975.

On Monday, the Bob Cousy Award named 10 finalist for college basketball’s best point guard.

Noticeably absent was Smith, who said after beating the Wildcats that it was over with.

Whether Smith admits it or not, he took it personally.

Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) reacts after a Purdue Boilermakers basket during the NCAA men’s basketball game against the Northwestern Wildcats, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. Purdue Boilermakers 105-96.

Then he sliced and diced Northwestern en route to a double-double and controlled the five-minute overtime period, where he had four assists and blew past Blake Preston with 1:44 to go in overtime for a layup.

The play that all but sealed it, the one where Fletcher Loyer caught a dart from Smith, drilled a 3 with 39 seconds left, then mimicked Pedro Cerrano with his celebration, wasn’t even supposed to happen.

“I am pretty sure it was a broken play,” Loyer said. “Braden attacked the baseline and he’s the best I’ve ever seen at being able to know where the shooters are at.

“I think going along the baseline, jumping in the air, a pass that they get mad at him for throwing a lot of the times, but he’s so talented that I trust him to do it.”

That’s how good Braden Smith is.

It’s the reason he’s one of the nation’s best point guards for perhaps the nation’s best team, one that functions because Smith facilitates everything.

His ability to make shots has created a conundrum for opponents, who have to decide whether to put a hand in Smith’s face to disrupt a potential basket, or play a pass because more often than not, Zach Edey is either rolling to the basket or already positioned himself in the post.

Northwestern coach Chris Collins certainly had no answer for Smith in the overtime period.

“I think they got two or three dunks there in overtime where we were trying to figure out what to do,” Collins said. “We couldn’t really solve it. Credit Braden. He’s a terrific player.”

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: How a former Purdue basketball guard helped Boilers land Braden Smith