Fletcher Loyer shows he's as crucial as Braden Smith in Purdue's win over Miami

Braden Smith is the Purdue Boilermakers' biggest star, but let's not forget about his fellow guard Fletcher Loyer. 

Smith has been getting more attention after breaking former Duke Blue Devils guard Bobby Hurley's men's NCAA Division I career record for assists (1,076). The Boilermakers standout set the mark during No. 2-seeded Purdue's 104-71 win over the No. 15-seeded Queens Royals in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Entering Sunday's game, the guard had 1,083 assists. 

However, it was Loyer, not Smith, who excelled in the Round of 32 against the No. 7-seeded Miami Hurricanes on Sunday. 

Fletcher Loyer cooked against Miami

Loyer scored a game-leading 24 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 shooting from three in a 79-69 win over Miami in St. Louis. Smith, meanwhile, struggled, committing a season-high eight turnovers and scoring 12 points on an atrocious 3-of-12 shooting from the field. 

Purdue, however, shouldn't have to worry about 2025-26 second-team All-American Smith playing that poorly again. Entering Sunday's contest, he was only averaging 2.8 turnovers per game. More importantly, if Loyer stays hot, the Boilermakers will be an even tougher out.

Fletcher Loyer has been heating up in March

Loyer has gone 8-of-12 (66.7 percent, above average) from three in two games in March Madness. Don't expect him to maintain that total for the rest of the tournament, but don't be surprised if he shoots over 40 percent from three-point range. In four seasons at Purdue, the guard has shot 40.8 percent from the three-point line. 

"We got the best shooter from three that we've ever had at Purdue in Fletcher Loyer," Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter told the media after Loyer went 4-of-8 from three against Queens. 

The numbers support the coach's claim. In a 97-93 home loss to the Wisconsin Badgers on March 7, Loyer broke former guard Carsen Edwards' program record (281) for career three-pointers made. On Sunday against Miami, he became the first player in Purdue history to make 300 threes in a career when he swished a shot on the right wing during the first half. (Entering Sunday's game, he had made 299 threes.)