Purdue and Michigan meet in the men’s Big Ten Tournament finals on Sunday, and fans may have noticed Boilermakers guard Brayden Smith’s unconventional uniform choice.
Smith normally wears Purdue’s No. 3 jersey, but for much of the game he wore No. 41, which has no name on the back. This isn’t some limited edition jersey or commemorative gesture.
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Instead, the team’s equipment staff had to make do with what they had in Indianapolis.
In the first half, Smith’s regular jersey was badly torn beyond repair. While the team occasionally provides alternate jerseys for each player, Purdue appears to have only brought the universal No. 41 jersey to Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
So, Smith’s starting point is:
Brayden Smith
In this regard:
Hehe, No. 41 suits him very well.
This article originally appeared in “For the Win: Why Purdue’s Brayden Smith Weared No. 41 in the Big Ten Championship Game”