Purdue's Smith unanimous preseason All-American

Braden Smith played with Zach Edey successful the 2024 nationalist title crippled and followed his ample footsteps by becoming an All-American past season.

The Purdue defender had a accidental to permission for the NBA implicit the summer, but, similar Edey earlier him, decided to instrumentality for different accidental astatine a nationalist title nether manager Matt Painter.

Smith's determination earned him different similarity to Edey: unanimous preseason All-American.

Smith earned each 57 votes from a media sheet successful The Associated Press preseason All-America squad released connected Monday, a week aft the Boilermakers were voted preseason No. 1 successful the AP Top 25 for the archetypal time. He was joined connected a large man-heavy archetypal squad by Texas Tech's JT Toppin (52 votes), Michigan's Yaxel Lendeborg (30), BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa (22) and Florida guardant Alex Condon (16).

"That's conscionable however Purdue has ever been, however each subordinate has ever been," Smith said. "Paint recruits players recruits the aforesaid radical and that's however they think, however we think. We ever privation to beryllium a portion of a programme similar this, a civilization similar this."

Smith has been 1 of the nation's astir productive guards since his freshman play astatine Purdue successful 2022-23. The heady 6-foot defender played a cardinal relation connected the Boilermakers' archetypal tally to the nationalist rubric crippled successful 2024, averaging 12 points, 7.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per crippled portion mounting a schoolhouse grounds for minutes.

Smith was adjacent amended arsenic a inferior past season, becoming the archetypal subordinate successful NCAA past to person astatine slightest 550 points, 300 assists, 150 rebounds and 75 steals successful a season. Smith averaged 15.8 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per crippled connected a squad that reached the Sweet 16.

Toppin's impact

Toppin had a superb archetypal play astatine Texas Tech aft transferring from New Mexico.

The 6-foot-9 guardant averaged 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks portion starring the Red Raiders to the Elite Eight, wherever they mislaid to eventual nationalist champion Florida. Toppin was a second-team AP All-America and the Big 12 subordinate of the twelvemonth earlier opting to instrumentality to a squad ranked No. 10 successful the AP preseason poll.

Landing Lendeborg

Lendeborg had a palmy stint astatine UAB, helping pb the Blazers to the 2024 NCAA Tournament. After investigating the NBA waters, the 6-9 guardant decided helium wanted a accidental to scope the Final Four, truthful helium stayed successful assemblage and transferred to Michigan.

The summation of Lendeborg helped the Wolverines gain a No. 7 ranking successful the preseason canvass aft reaching the Sweet 16 a twelvemonth ago.

Last season, Lendeborg joined Indiana State's Larry Bird arsenic the lone players to person 600 points, 400 rebounds and 150 assists successful a season. He averaged 15.8 points and 11 rebounds per crippled successful 2 seasons astatine UAB, earning American Conference antiaircraft subordinate of the twelvemonth honors some years.

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