Ranking the best Big Ten basketball players at midway point

1. Braden Smith, G, Purdue

Purdue has been home to the Big Ten Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons with Zach Edey and Smith might make a push for a third consecutive year a Purdue player has won the honor. Smith, a first-team All-Big Ten and honorable mention All-American guard last year, has again been a catalyst for the Boilermakers’ success alongside forward Trey Kaufman-Renn – who leads the team in scoring and rebounding – and guard Fletcher Loyer, who is shooting an impressive 46.3% from 3-point range. Smith also shoots well from deep at 40% and from the field overall at 45.5% while averaging 16.4 points. His 8.6 assists per game lead the Big Ten by a wide margin, as do his 2.5 steals as Smith has proven to be one of the conference’s top defenders. His two-way ability makes Purdue a frontrunner to win another Big Ten title.