Purdue’s Braden Smith Named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Purdue junior guard Braden Smith has been named the 2024-25 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year, as chosen by a select media panel, the conference office announced on Tuesday.

Smith is coming off a record-breaking season for the Boilermakers, setting school and Big Ten records with 292 assists, while leading the Boilermakers to their first NCAA championship game appearance since 1969. Smith was the only player in the country to average at least 12.0 points, 7.5 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game and became just the second player in NCAA history to amass at least 450 points, 275 assists and 225 rebounds in a season.

The media panel also selected a 10-member Preseason All-Big Ten Team. Ten of the Big Ten’s 18 teams are represented on the team, with Smith the lone unanimous selection.

The Purdue guard is joined by Indiana’s Oumar Ballo, Iowa’s Payton Sandfort, Minnesota’s Dawson Garcia, Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton, Northwestern’s Brooks Barnhizer, Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad, Penn State’s Ace Baldwin Jr., Rutgers’ Dylan Harper, and Washington’s Great Osobor.

Six members of the 2024-25 Preseason All-Big Ten Team garnered All-Big Ten honors last season. The league’s coaches named Smith to the First Team, while Baldwin, Barnhizer, Garcia, and Sandfort earned Third Team honors. Thornton received Honorable Mention.   

The 2024-25 preseason All-Big Ten team can be found below.

2024-25 Preseason All-Big Ten Team
Oumar Ballo, R-Sr.+, C, Indiana
Payton Sandfort, Sr., F, Iowa
Dawson Garcia, Sr., F, Minnesota
Brooks Barnhizer, Sr., G, Northwestern
Bruce Thornton, Jr., G, Ohio State
Jackson Shelstad, So., G, Oregon
Ace Baldwin Jr., Sr+, G, Penn State
BRADEN SMITH, Jr., G, Purdue*
Dylan Harper, Fr., G, Rutgers
Great Osobor, Sr., F, Washington

2024-25 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year
Braden Smith, Purdue

Unanimous selection listed in ALL CAPS