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Braden Smith is one assist away from Bobby Hurley's NCAA assists record. The record was only part of the reason he returned to Purdue for senior year.
NCAA history is set to made in March Madness . Purdue guard Braden Smith is about to be a new assists king. The senior is two assists away from breaking Bobby Hurley's career record of 1,076 assists set in 1990-93.
Tthe record will likely be broken in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament , when the No. 2 seed Boilermakers play No. 15 Queens on Friday, March 20.
Bold predictions: : Best March Madness upset picks, Final Four dark horse When it happens, Smith can finally put it past him. "I'm ready to just get it over with, so we can kind of put that kind of behind for a little bit" Smith told USA TODAY Sports. He's not annoyed about the attention that comes with the record chase, he just wants everyone's attention to the ultimate focus: winning.
"Obviously it's important, but I mean for us, I think winning is more important, especially at this time of year," he added. Smith spoke with USA TODAY Sports as he partners with Great Clips to "assist and spread" their national haircut coupon throughout March Madness. Ever since he decided to return to West Lafayette for one more year, people wondered if Smith would be able to reach Hurley's record that has stood for more than 30 years.