Last Friday Purdue lost to Michigan 86-68 in the Big 10 tourney but still earned an at-large bid to this week’s NCAA tournament. The Boilermakers have had a winning record for 11 years in a row and are heading to the NCAA tourney to see if they can make it back to the title game. Earlier today HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to speak with Purdue basketball mother Ginny Smith about her son Braden being named 1st-team All-American yesterday and making the NCAA tourney.
No Westfield High School boys’ basketball player had ever been a D-1 recruit before: how big a deal was it for your son Braden to become the 1st, and what made him choose Purdue? From our perspective, it was a big deal because that is what he aspired to do. He was in a strong class of athletes back in 2022. Purdue was his top choice and in hindsight it was a fantastic choice. It was a quick recruiting process after they finally came up with a scholarship, but Coach Painter and his staff are great.
In his very 1st college game, he set a school freshman record with 7 STL in a win over Milwaukee and was eventually named to the conference All-Freshman team: how was he able to come in and contribute right from the start? Purdue needed a PG so that gave him an opportunity. He had never sat on the bench in his life, so we talked about what his work ethic needed to be. He thought we were crazy because he felt that he was going to play right away, and all the dominoes fell into place for him.
In the 2023 NCAA tourney he scored 7 PTS in a 5-PT loss to #16-seed FDU: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of his career, and how was the entire team able to turn things around last season? I cannot speak for him, but it was also tough when he lost in the regional as a high school senior because we thought his team would win the state tourney that year. Not only is it devastating to lose on a national stage in college, but also a little embarrassing. It was a very strange feeling on the ride home because none of us anticipated that happening.
Take me through the magical 2024 postseason:
How nervous were you when he hurt his right knee/calf vs. Michigan State in the Big 10 tourney quarterfinals, and were you worried that he should have sat out rather than come back onto the court to help his team get the 5-PT win? You never want to see anyone get hurt, but when it is your son there is an extra level of apprehension/anxiety. I wanted to walk down to the bench and ask, “Yo, what’s up?”, but instead I texted the trainer and begged him to give me some information. Nothing surprises me with Braden: if I had to guess he probably harassed Coach Painter until he put him back in! It is what I would expect from the kind of player who played an entire season with a broken foot. We felt that if they put him back in then he was well enough to be in there.
The Boilermakers’ 1st 2 NCAA tourney games last year were in Indianapolis: how many family members/friends made the 40-minute drive from Westfield to see their hometown hero in person? There were a LOT of people there so I cannot give you an exact number. Each player gets 6 tickets…so we had to ask for a lot of extras. People from Westfield are very proud of him and it was great to play in front of a “home” crowd.
In the NCAA title game he scored 12 PTS in a loss to UConn: what kind of emotions did you have watching your son play for a national championship? You cannot say that it was a failure: instead, they showed a tremendous amount of resiliency/grit. It was overwhelming for me because we knew that UConn was incredibly tough and that Purdue team would have to play perfect. It was not our day…but we could not be prouder. He had some uncharacteristic turnovers in the Final 4 win over NC State, but we discussed how the title game was a new opportunity. He represented himself/his school/his community very well and we were proud that he got to be in that situation.
He has been 2nd in the nation in APG during each of the past 2 years: what makes him such a great PG? He has great instincts, incredible floor vision, a high IQ, and good chemistry with his teammates. It is a skill set that he has worked on but part of it is a gift: he can see/do things that not everyone else can. Passing the ball is a true skill and he does an incredible job making everyone around him better, which his teammates appreciate. Having a pass-first mentality sometimes puts him or his teammates in a jam, but he is a great PG due to his ability to see the floor.
Yesterday he was named 1st-team All-American: what did it mean to him to receive such an outstanding honor? We have not talked to him about it yet since we have all been traveling East but we sent him a note in our group text and received back a, “Thanks, love you too!” He has always been undervalued and never passed the eye test. He is unassuming in the world of basketball so to do what he has been able to do at the level he has done it at makes us proud. There is an old adage that, “If you love the game, then it will love you back.”
You and your husband Dustin both played basketball at Arkansas Tech: who is the best athlete in the family? I would have said that I was the best player at 1 point…but I am not the best athlete! Braden’s dad was a PG, and I played the 2, so he got his passing skills from his dad. Basketball is important to our entire family, and we appreciate the opportunities that it can provide. The beautiful thing is that Braden embraces it: we never pushed him too hard, and he eventually developed a passion for the sport. He soaked it all up and watched YouTube videos of PGs like Jason Williams/Jason Kidd and tried to emulate them. Dustin coached him up until high school and taught him how to play the game the right way: we never put him in a hectic AAU environment.
Purdue was given a #4 seed this year: any predictions for their game(s) this weekend in Providence? No predictions…but we are here with a happy heart and fingers crossed to get some wins!
