Purdue's Fletcher Loyer Reacts to Braden Smith's Career Announcement

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Apr 15, 2025 12:15 PM ET

There is a great deal of excitement surrounding Matt Painter's 2025–2026 Purdue Boilermakers.

After reaching the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, many publications have listed the Boilermakers as serious contenders to cut down the nets next season.

Things are beginning to fall into place, as recent news highlighted one of their top players making a major announcement about his future—a move that was clearly celebrated by others on the roster.

Braden Smith, who led the team last season by averaging 15.8 points and 8.7 assists per game, took to his personal Instagram page and had this to say. "Running It Back One Last Time. Purdue Has Given Me Everything: Memories, Challenges, Growth, And A Family. There's Still More To Prove, More To Accomplish, And More Moments To Create With My Brothers. Much Love To My Guys And Boiler Nation! Let's Make This Next Year Unforgettable!"

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Braden Smith (@sm1thb)

That caught the attention of his teammate Fletcher Loyer, who responded to the Instagram post, with a simple emoji of a ring.

The idea of Loyer and Smith teaming up in the backcourt has fans in West Lafayette believing this could be the duo that brings a championship to Purdue.

Loyer, who came to Purdue from Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana, was the 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state.

Over his two seasons in West Lafayette, he has played in 74 games—starting every single one. Last season, he averaged 10.3 points per game and was the team's top three-point shooter, hitting 44.4% from beyond the arc.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: