Braden Smith played with Zach Edey in the 2024 national championship game and followed his large footsteps by becoming an All-American last season.
The Purdue guard had a chance to leave for the NBA over the summer, but, like Edey before him, decided to return for another chance at a national championship under coach Matt Painter.
Smith’s decision earned him another similarity to Edey: unanimous preseason All-American.
Smith earned all 57 votes from a media panel in The Associated Press preseason All-America team released on Monday, a week after the Boilermakers were voted preseason No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time. He was joined on a big man-heavy first team by Texas Tech’s JT Toppin (52 votes), Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg (30), BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa (22) and Florida forward Alex Condon (16).
“That’s just how Purdue has always been, how every player has always been,” Smith said. “Paint recruits players recruits the same people and that’s how they think, how we think. We always want to be a part of a program like this, a culture like this.”
Smith has been one of the nation’s most productive guards since his freshman season at Purdue in 2022-23. The heady 6-foot guard played a key role on the Boilermakers’ first run to the national title game in 2024, averaging 12 points, 7.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while setting a school record for minutes.
Smith was even better as a junior last season, becoming the first player in NCAA history to have at least 550 points, 300 assists, 150 rebounds and 75 steals in a season. Smith averaged 15.8 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game on a team that reached the Sweet 16.
Toppin’s impact
Toppin had a superb first season at Texas Tech after transferring from New Mexico.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 18.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks while leading the Red Raiders to the Elite Eight, where they lost to eventual national champion Florida. Toppin was a second-team AP All-America and the Big 12 player of the year before opting to return to a team ranked No. 10 in the AP preseason poll.
Landing Lendeborg
Lendeborg had a successful stint at UAB, helping lead the Blazers to the 2024 NCAA Tournament. After testing the NBA waters, the 6-9 forward decided he wanted a chance to reach the Final Four, so he stayed in college and transferred to Michigan.
The addition of Lendeborg helped the Wolverines earn a No. 7 ranking in the preseason poll after reaching the Sweet 16 a year ago.
Last season, Lendeborg joined Indiana State’s Larry Bird as the only players to have 600 points, 400 rebounds and 150 assists in a season. He averaged 15.8 points and 11 rebounds per game in two seasons at UAB, earning American Conference defensive player of the year honors both years.
AJ arrives
BYU took a big step in its first season under coach Kevin Young last season by reaching the Sweet 16.
The No. 8 Cougars have even higher expectations this season after landing Dybantsa.
The nation’s No. 1 recruit had nearly every major program jockeying for his services, but chose to play in Provo. The athletic 6-9 forward is an efficient scorer who finishes strong at the rim, has a good midrange game and is a superb defender — attributes that have him projected as a potential No. 1 overall NBA draft pick.
Condon returns
Condon announced he was heading to the NBA draft after Florida’s national championship last season before changing his mind.
The 6-11 Australian averaged 10.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while leading Gators with 49 blocked shots. Condon was superb in the national title game against Houston, finishing with 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals, diving for a loose ball in the closing seconds of the 65-63 win.
Condon returned for a chance to lead the Gators to consecutive national titles and helped them earn a No. 3 ranking in the AP preseason poll.
