WEST LAFAYETTE — From the opening possession of its blowout loss to No. 11 Purdue, the No. 21 Michigan men’s basketball team was dismantled through the facilitation of the Boilermakers’ point guard Braden Smith’s excellent play. Against the Wolverines, the Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year showcased the many ways in which he leads Purdue, taking control of the game in all facets.
It started from that first possession, as Michigan came down with the tip, Smith pressed right up into junior guard Tre Donaldson. Smith nabbed Donaldson’s dribble at the top of the court and took it for a quick two points. Smith signaled his desire early to lead the charge with this play, and he followed through with his intentions throughout the game.
“It’s what leaders do.” Boilermaker guard Fletcher Loyer said of Smith. “When you’re the best player on a team, you gotta lead by example. … By Braden leading by example and getting out and defending whoever it is one through five it’s huge for us.”
After that opening defensive stretch, Smith led Purdue in all statistical categories throughout the rest of the first half. Totalling 14 points along with six boards and five assists, he truly did lead the charge from the jump until that halftime buzzer.
His marquee performance resulted in the resounding lead that the Boilermakers built up — a seemingly insurmountable 26 points at halftime.
“He made plays on both sides of the ball,” Wolverines coach Dusty May said. “He was precise offensively. Defensively, he was reading the next play.”
That precision remained for Smith in the second half as well. He often attacked Michigan with the help of a ball screen, facing various coverages but dismantling the Wolverines regardless of how they defended him. When faced with a Michigan switch, Smith took advantage of his quick burst to keep his defenders off balance and score with a jumper or glide to the rim for a layup.
When the Wolverines hedged with a big or went into drop coverage, Smith would snake around and into the lane, ending up with his original defender on his back, able to shoot or dish as he desired. This meticulous aggression allowed Smith to go 4-for-5 from the field in the second half and add up five more dimes — good for a 24 point, 10 assist double-double.
Smith’s ability to stay level and keep performing even when leading big was essential as well. When Michigan continuously looked for comeback opportunities in the second half, Smith’s presence kept Purdue even keeled and in control.
“He just kept things simple,” Boilermakers coach Matt Painter said. “Took his jump shot when it was there, kept shooting it even though he missed all four of his threes. He kept looking for it and that’s what we needed from him.”
Ending with a plus-minus of 27, the difference in the Wolverines’ 27-point loss was Smith. His intensity beginning quite literally from the very tip of the game propelled Purdue to its dominant lead. And with his persistence even with that lead, Smith carried the Boilermakers all the way to the finish in resounding fashion.
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