Braden Smith Stats Tonight: How did Purdue star fare vs USC? (March 13)

Braden Smith proved he deserved to win the AP Big Ten player of the year, leading No. 20 Purdue (22-10) to a 76-71 win over USC (16-17) in the second round of the 2025 Big Ten Tournament at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday night.

Smith finished with 12 points, three rebounds, nine assists and two steals, playing the whole game to help the Boilermakers put out the Trojans and arrange a quarterfinal clash with No. 22 Michigan (22-9) on Friday.

The six-foot junior shot 3 of 10, including 1 of 4 from the 3-point line, and made 5 of 6 free-throw attempts for another all-around performance.

Smith's nine assists placed him as the 12th player in NCAA history and the first since the 2013-14 season to record at least 275 assists in two seasons. He has 281 dimes this season, 11 assists below his total last season (per ESPN).

The point guard went to work early, dishing off six assists, to go along with three points and two rebounds for Purdue but Southern California kept in pace, tying the first half at 35-35.

Smith picked up his offense in the second half, scoring nine points, including six in the final seven minutes of the game to help the Boilermakers catch up and take control of the game. He also had three rebounds, nine assists and two steals, including a crucial swipe with five seconds left that sealed the Trojans' fate.

Here are Braden Smith's final stats in Purdue's win over USC:

Player	MP	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	FG	3-PT	FT	TO	PF
Braden Smith	40	12	3	9	2	0	3-10	1-4	5-6	1	1

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Boilermakers vs Trojans Game Recap: Kaufman-Renn erupts for 30 points, Purdue makes Big Ten Tournament last eight

Trey Kaufman-Renn exploded for 30 points to lead Purdue to a five-point victory over USC and advance to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. The 6-foot-9 junior forward made 12 of 20 shots and 6 of 11 free throws and served as the bright spot for the Boilermakers' offense, as his teammates combined for 40% from the field.

Kaufman-Renn, an AP Big Ten First Team selection like teammate Braden Smith, also tallied seven rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes for the Matt Painter-coached team, which is trying to make the 2025 NCAA Tournament after finishing second to UConn last season.

Fletcher Loyer had 14 points, one rebound and one assist while Camden Heide contributed nine points, 11 rebounds and one block off the bench. Myles Colvin added eight points and five rebounds for the Boilermakers, who had a 19-14 edge in bench points.

Purdue made 39.1% of its shots from the 3-point line and edged USC in the rebounding (36-33) and assists (13-12) departments.

Desmond Claude led the Trojans with 18 points while Wesley Yates III added 13 points and seven rebounds. Rashaun Agee and Matt Knowling contributed 11 apiece for USC, who finished its first season under new coach Eric Musselman in a losing record.

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What can you say about Braden Smith's performance against USC? Let's know your views in the comments section.