Westfield PG, Purdue Boilermaker bound Braden Smith displays rare talent
WESTFIELD, Ind. — During his junior year, Westfield High School’s Braden Smith already had multiple scholarship offers to play Division I basketball, and in all likelihood more were on the way. But last spring, when he was offered by Purdue during a Monday night Zoom call, it took him less than 24 hours to decide where he was headed.
“It was just right,” Smith said, now a senior. “(Purdue coach Matt Painter) said it was right, said it feels right, and there’s nothing you need to be waiting for. If this is something you want to do, then take it.”
Smith has found himself exactly where he wants to be. This summer, he will make the short drive to West Lafayette and join Homestead’s Fletcher Loyer, reinforcing a program that’s already firmly positioned to challenge for a Big Ten championship. But before then, Smith has unfinished business in Westfield. The Shamrocks have never won their sectional, but after claiming a Hall of Fame Classic championship in December – a tournament where Smith won MVP and nearly recorded a quadruple-double in the title game – the team is hopeful it’s on the cusp of history.
Much of that hope comes from having a player like Smith, said Westfield boys’ basketball coach Shane Sumpter. Sumpter recalls a talented, slender Smith joining his program as a freshman and quickly developing into one of the hardest working players on and off the court. So when Smith is mentioned as the potential Mr. Basketball, or when he attracts attention from major Division I programs, Sumpter isn’t surprised.
“The way he works in the weight room, and even in practice, he doesn’t miss a rep,” Sumpter said. “I have to force him to get out for a minute, and the next thing I know he’s back on the floor. I’ve coached good players before, but his work ethic and leadership is what really sets him apart. He’s one of those players you may only catch every 25, 30 years as a coach.”
The buzz over Westfield basketball is palpable. Sumpter said it can be felt from the fans who fill the seats to near capacity and from the conversations that take place throughout the community. The Shamrocks have grown into one of the top programs in Class 4A while playing in what Sumpter calls the state’s most challenging sectional. While Smith has been a big part of that, it hasn’t fed into his ego. In fact, he plays every game as if he has something to prove. Ginny Smith, Braden’s mother and head coach of the Westfield girls basketball team, said that mindset comes from the fact that Braden has never had anything handed to him.
“In the basketball world, he has had to work extremely hard to get where he is because, genetically, he’s a little more challenged in comparison to his 6-foot-2, 6-foot-3 point guard counterparts,” she said. “But because of that doubt of ‘not being big enough,’ ‘not being athletic enough,’ it has driven him to be the best athlete he can be.”
The work has paid off. Sumpter called Braden the best high school passer he has ever seen and one of the best shooters in Indiana. Braden also takes pride in his relentless defense, which produced nine steals in the Hall of Fame Classic championship against Cathedral. The bottom line is Braden is prepared to do anything that is asked of him by coaches; and whatever it is, he wants to be the best at it.
Pairing Braden with Homestead’s Loyer, and throwing in 7-foot-2 Swedish center William Berg, gives Purdue an electric 2022 class that could make an immediate impact on a team already positioned as a national title contender. Braden said the Purdue coaching staff told him anything is possible during his freshman year. As it currently stands, the team rosters just one other point guard heading into next fall, which could lead to big minutes for Braden. Freshman recruits typically take time to find their footing and establish their roles, but Braden is prepared to prove his worth the first day he puts on the black and gold.
“It’s going to be difficult, like in high school when you come in and you have to earn respect from the guys,” Braden said. “But that’s something I’m willing to do. I’ve done it before, and I’m excited for it.”
Braden won’t be alone. Westfield fans will tune in to watch their homegrown star, and Sumpter plans to make several trips to West Lafayette to watch his former player. His family even showered him with Purdue gear on Christmas so he’s properly dressed. Ginny will step down from her coaching job at the end of this season to allow her to join her family on regular trips to Mackey Arena.
“Earning a scholarship has always been the ultimate goal, but the pride that we feel as a family that it’s (with) Purdue is overwhelming,” Ginny said. “We are overjoyed for him and can’t wait to watch him continue to pursue his dreams on such a big stage.”
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