WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Braden Smith is the best playmaker in the country.
And if Purdue is going to mount another run at a national championship appearance, Smith also has to be the Boilermakers’ leader, best defender and orchestrator of an offense that had been clicking at an exceptional rate for most of the season’s first month.
He did all of that in the second half against Minnesota Wednesday, and if it can be duplicated against Marquette this weekend or Auburn the following weekend in Indianapolis, or throughout the Big Ten, then the Boilermakers can match Michigan, Illinois and Michigan State — and who knows, maybe Nebraska and UCLA, too — in the quest to finish in the top two in the league.
Smith was sensational in finishing with 15 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals. He was diving for loose balls and getting his hands on deflections. He was the motor the Boilermakers needed after a sluggish first half left them with just a three-point lead over the Gophers at halftime, four days after Iowa State blitzed Purdue 81-58 at Mackey Arena.
Purdue, led by Smith, blasted Minnesota out of the gate with a 21-point scoring run and ultimately built a 32-point lead in the 85-57 win.
“I think I have to be that spark and be better and I don’t think I’ve been as good as I could be,’’ Smith told me on the court during our Big Ten Network postgame interview. “I can be like that every night. That’s the thing I’ve got to make a change for and continue to do that and try to help us out and get a win.’’
Smith doesn’t shy away from the responsibility he shoulders. He’s the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, but he came back to win a title, not that award again.
His numbers on the season are just silly. He’s averaging 13 points, 9.1 assists and just 2.8 turnovers. He’s had two or more steals in six of 10 games.
“He was great,’’ Purdue coach Matt Painter said of Smith’s defense. “He had active hands and one time he was getting his hands up on a ball screen and he just catches the basketball. He’s great in anticipation.’’
Painter stressed that the Boilermakers can’t get overzealous and get out of position against a quality team. “Braden does a great job on defense,’’ Painter said. “He sees things and anticipates.’’
Smith is an NBA guard. Full stop. Driving back from West Lafayette to Chicago late Wednesday night, an NBA personnel director told me Smith could start for them today. He’s ready to make the transition. Forget that he’s too small. He can drop dimes all over the floor, but just as importantly, he can be a defensive pest and cause major issues for opposing perimeter players.
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Normally, there wouldn’t be such cause for alarm with the Boilermakers after just one loss. The questions arose because Iowa State was the more physical team and made shots while Purdue didn’t.
But I didn’t see or hear any panic in discussing the loss with the Boilermakers during Wednesday’s practice. This is a veteran group, led by Smith.
Painter didn’t peel paint off the walls after the loss to the Cyclones. He didn’t force them to have three-hour practices or watch endless tape.
He knew that the Boilermakers are a top 10 team that didn’t play well against another top 10 team, regardless of the location.
This is the same Purdue team that beat Alabama by eight in Tuscaloosa and crushed Texas Tech by 30 in the Bahamas.
“We had a lot of good shots, wide open shots that we didn’t make,’’ said Trey Kaufman-Renn of the Iowa State loss. “We then made three or four mistakes in a row and they were making tough turnaround shots. It was just one of those days.’’
Smith, Kausmann-Renn, Fletcher Loyer, C.J. Cox and Gicarri Harris weren’t fazed at all by the loss. Daniel Jacobsen, who was in the program a year ago but was hurt, also is all in on the Purdue culture of not being an alarmist. Add veteran transfer Oscar Cluff and Israeli guard Omer Mayer and this is a group that doesn’t rattle.
The Boilermakers get Marquette, Auburn and Kent State before jumping back in the Big Ten at Wisconsin and hosting Washington in early January.
This is a squad that is built for the long run and to be in contention for the Big Ten title — and another Final Four run.
Michigan is more dominant, has superior depth at every position and seems to carry itself with a bit more flair. But that doesn’t mean Purdue isn’t up to the challenge. Hardly. This Boilermakers team is ready to take on anyone. “We’re really talented,’’ said Kaufman-Renn. “We feel good about the Big Ten.’’
And they should. The first half against Minnesota was a bit of a red flag, but then the second half was the Purdue team that can compete for a title.
That team, led by Smith, is the one that is going to be a problem for every opponent going forward.
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