Boiler Banter: Braden Smith's Return Immediately Makes Purdue Title Contender

If there is any extra cash floating around, Purdue may be wise to invest it in a helmet and fire suit. Monday afternoon, All-American guard Braden Smith revealed that he'll return for the 2025-26 season to close out his career with the Boilermakers. His announcement put Purdue in the driver's seat to compete for a national championship.

How fitting that next year's Final Four will be held in Indianapolis.

Admittedly, this all feels a little silly, doesn't it? Here I am, talking about the significance of Smith's return to Purdue for his senior season without any real indication that he would be departing the program. Sure, there were rumors and speculation that popped up about a potential dabble with the transfer portal, but there was never any substantial evidence to support the claims.

The only option that could have derailed Smith's return to West Lafayette was an experiment with the 2025 NBA Draft. But most analysts pegged the Big Ten Player of the Year as a late-second round selection, a prize not worth forgoing his final year of eligibility at the college level.

Even knowing that Smith's most-likely option was to return to Purdue, there was a strong breeze that traveled out of West Lafayette on Monday afternoon. That gust was the collective sigh of relief among Purdue fans. I'm a little surprised I couldn't hear the chants of "Boiler up!" shortly after.

Smith's announcement — although not surprisingly — instantly puts Purdue at the top of the college basketball world heading into the 2025-26 season. It might just be the most anticipated year of Boilermaker hoops ever experienced.

Smith is coming off a season in which he averaged 15.8 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. For his efforts, the junior guard was rewarded as the Big Ten Player of the Year and was a first-team All-Big Ten and All-American selection. He was also the winner of the Bob Cousy Award and was among four finalists for the Naismith National Player of the Year honor.

It was one of the best seasons we've ever witnessed for a Purdue point guard. And yet, it was the performance in his final game of the season that might have left us the most impressed.

Against an elite Houston defense in the Sweet 16 games at Lucas Oil Stadium, Smith finished the game with 15 assists against a Cougars team that smothered him all night long. Yet he was still able to locate his teammates in good positions to score. Ultimately, the Boilers dropped a 62-60 contest, but it was a memorable outing for one of the game's top players.

Beginning to understand why there was such a strong reaction to Smith's announcement on Monday, even though most of us believed he would remain in the black and gold?

Smith's decision to return to Purdue isn't the only reason why the Boilermakers are favorites to make a Final Four run and compete for a national championship in 2026, though he's certainly the biggest. This is a team that returns fellow first-team All-Big Ten forward Trey Kaufman-Renn and All-Big Ten honorable mention Fletcher Loyer. Those three are more than enough reason to start buying stock in next year's squad.

This is also a team that returns rising sophomores CJ Cox, Gicarri Harris and Raleigh Burgess. Purdue will also get 7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen back from injury after playing in just two games last year. Freshman Jack Benter will also be available after using the 2024-25 season as a redshirt year.

Let's not forget about the quick work that coach Matt Painter and his staff did in the NCAA transfer portal once the season ended. Just a few days after Purdue's Sweet 16 loss to Houston in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, the Boilermakers landed 6-foot-11 center Oscar Cluff, who spent last year at South Dakota State.

Cluff averaged a double-double in his lone season with the Jackrabbits, averaging 17.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He was Purdue's No. 1 priority from the transfer portal this offseason.

The puzzle isn't complete, either. Painter and his staff are still looking to add potential pieces from the portal or unsigned players from the 2025 class to fill remaining scholarship openings.

Perhaps the biggest questions have already been answered in Purdue's quest to race back to the Final Four. With Cluff, the Boilermakers addressed their struggles in the rebounding category. Jacobsen will provide an additional boost on the glass while also providing rim protection on the defnesive end of the court.

Now, there's confirmation that Smith will be returning. He's the best passer in Purdue history, making everyone on the floor around him better. Add another offseason of development to his already-elite skill set and you might have the National Player of the Year in the making.

For Purdue fans, Monday's news was exciting, though predictable. It puts the Boilermakers in an advantageous spot heading into next year's college basketball season — a chance to reach a second Final Four in three seasons.

Will they bring the checkered flag — or the national championship trophy, rather — back to West Lafayette? It would be the ultimate ending to a tremendous career for Smith and his Purdue teammates.