NCAA assists record: How Purdue's Braden Smith can rise to top of all-time list during 2026 March Madness

NCAA assists record: How Purdue's Braden Smith can rise to top of all-time list during 2026 March Madness originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . JUMP TO: Who has the most assists in NCAA history?

NCAA assists leaders all time NCAA assists record single game NCAA assists record single season For decades, Duke’s Bobby Hurley has stood alone at the summit of college basketball’s record books, his 1,076 career assists serving as the gold standard for elite playmaking. Since 1993, that mark has remained untouched — a testament to Hurley’s legendary vision and his role as the floor general for the Blue Devils’ back-to-back national title runs. Now, after 33 years, that historic milestone is on the verge of being eclipsed by the defining point guard of the modern era.

Purdue’s Braden Smith enters the 2026 NCAA Tournament just two assists shy of surpassing Hurley to become the all-time career leader. A consensus First-Team All-American and the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year, Smith has put together a statistical resume that borders on the impossible: he is the only player in NCAA history to reach 1,500 points, 1,000 assists, and 500 rebounds. While Hurley’s record was built on the foundation of a Duke dynasty, Smith has authored a similar legacy of longevity in West Lafayette, anchoring the winningest four-year stretch in program history and leading the Boilermakers to multiple conference titles.

Smith has methodically chipped away at it over 145 consecutive starts for Matt Painter, and whether the record falls in the opening round or deeper into the bracket, Smith’s ascent marks the crowning achievement of a career defined by loyalty and historic production. MORE: Most assists in a March Madness game Who has the most assists in NCAA history? Bobby Hurley currently holds the record for the most assists in NCAA history, recording 1,076 assists during his legendary career at Duke from 1989 to 1993.