- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,129,079
- Reaction score
- 59
INDIANAPOLIS -- Purdue All-American point guard, NCAA all-time assists leader and former Westfield High School star Braden Smith is one of 73 players that have been invited to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago from May 10-17, the NBA announced Friday.
Smith, who was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 2022 after setting scoring and assists record at Westfield, averaged 13.0 points and 7.4 assists per game in four seasons with Purdue, earning first-team All-America honors in 2024-25 and 2025-26, and Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 2024-25. He helped lead the Boilermakers to three Sweet 16s, two Elite Eights, a Final Four and the national championship game in 2024 when they lost to Connecticut. His 1,103 total career assists passed the previous NCAA Division I record of 1,076 set by Duke's Bobby Hurley. His 1,932 career points puts him eighth on Purdue's all-time list.
Former Kokomo and Kansas star Flory Bidunga is also invited. Bidunga has transferred from Kansas to Louisville but still has his name entered in the draft. Former Carmel High School star Peter Suder is also invited after leading Miami (Ohio) to a 32-2 season and earning MAC Player of the Year honors.
Smith is Purdue's only representative at the combine and Indiana is not sending any players, but Smith is one of 14 Big Ten players invited to the combine. National champion Michigan is sending three players in center Aday Mara and forwards Yaxel Landeborg and Morez Johnson. Final Four participant Illinois is sending guards Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell and forward Andrej Stojakovic. Wisconsin is sending guards John Blackwell and Nick Boyd. UCLAs Tyler Bilodeau, Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr., Iowa's Bennett Stirtz, Northwestern Nick Martinelli and Ohio State' Bruce Thornton are also invited.
The Pacers enter the draft lottery among three teams with the best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick or a top-four pick, though they have conditionally traded their 2026 draft choice and would not get to keep it if it lands outside the top four. The players who would appear to be targets for top four picks -- BYU's A.J. Dybantsa, Duke's Cameron Boozer, Kansas' Darryn Peterson and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson -- are of course all invited.
Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar's Boilermakers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Braden Smith of Purdue among NBA Draft Combine invitees
Continue reading...
Smith, who was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball in 2022 after setting scoring and assists record at Westfield, averaged 13.0 points and 7.4 assists per game in four seasons with Purdue, earning first-team All-America honors in 2024-25 and 2025-26, and Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 2024-25. He helped lead the Boilermakers to three Sweet 16s, two Elite Eights, a Final Four and the national championship game in 2024 when they lost to Connecticut. His 1,103 total career assists passed the previous NCAA Division I record of 1,076 set by Duke's Bobby Hurley. His 1,932 career points puts him eighth on Purdue's all-time list.
Former Kokomo and Kansas star Flory Bidunga is also invited. Bidunga has transferred from Kansas to Louisville but still has his name entered in the draft. Former Carmel High School star Peter Suder is also invited after leading Miami (Ohio) to a 32-2 season and earning MAC Player of the Year honors.
Smith is Purdue's only representative at the combine and Indiana is not sending any players, but Smith is one of 14 Big Ten players invited to the combine. National champion Michigan is sending three players in center Aday Mara and forwards Yaxel Landeborg and Morez Johnson. Final Four participant Illinois is sending guards Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell and forward Andrej Stojakovic. Wisconsin is sending guards John Blackwell and Nick Boyd. UCLAs Tyler Bilodeau, Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr., Iowa's Bennett Stirtz, Northwestern Nick Martinelli and Ohio State' Bruce Thornton are also invited.
The Pacers enter the draft lottery among three teams with the best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick or a top-four pick, though they have conditionally traded their 2026 draft choice and would not get to keep it if it lands outside the top four. The players who would appear to be targets for top four picks -- BYU's A.J. Dybantsa, Duke's Cameron Boozer, Kansas' Darryn Peterson and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson -- are of course all invited.
Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar's Boilermakers newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Braden Smith of Purdue among NBA Draft Combine invitees
Continue reading...
