Braden Smith is a pretty good basketball player. It really should be as simple as that, but I got stats to back it up. During Big Ten competition, the six-foot guard averaged 17.4 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.6 rebounds. He is the second player in the Big Ten to ever total 450 points, 250 assists, 125 rebounds and 60 steals in a season. The other was Magic Johnson. However, this is Smith’s second time doing so. To top it off, Smith was also named semifinalist for the Naismith Player of the Year on Friday.
Two-time NBA All-Star Glenn Robinson’s former college teammate, Matt Painter, got over the hump last year and finally coached his “perennial contending” team into contention. That experience could prove valuable if they return to the Sweet 16.
If numbers, names and previous experience doesn’t move the needle, hopefully the media’s opinion can change your mind. The Boilermakers closed out the regular season ranked No. 20 in the Associated Press poll.
Theo Franz
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