Braden Smith offered by Purdue
The recruitment of Westfield guard Braden Smith shifted significantly Monday evening when Purdue offered a scholarship during a Zoom call.
Smith, a 6-foot guard who averaged 22.0 points and 6.2 assists as a junior while shooting 45.1% from the 3-point line, had previous offers from IUPUI, Appalachian State, Belmont, Montana, North Texas and Toledo.
Purdue is the first high-major offer for Smith but certainly not the last. The Boilermakers, who have IndyStar Mr. Basketball Caleb Furst and runner-up Trey Kaufman-Renn signed in the 2021 class, along with Indiana All-Star Brian Waddell, already have a commitment from Homestead’s Fletcher Loyer in the 2022 class. Purdue also has an offer out to 6-10 Jalen Washington of Gary West Side, a top-25 national prospect in the 2022 class.
Purdue coach Matt Painter has been successful identifying, recruiting and retaining in-state players in recent seasons. Whether that means anything in Smith’s recruitment is still to be seen, but it does seem significant that Purdue is his first high-major offer.
LINK: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/04/27/indiana-basketball-recruits-lincoln-hale-smith-purdue-scholarship-offer/7382643002/