That Smith ended up in West Lafayette, Ind., is a testament to the stability and consistency of a program that has had two coaches over the last 44 years. Dustin Smith grew up in Indiana and was a childhood friend of Austin Parkinson, Bruce’s son and a Purdue player under coach Gene Keady in the early 2000s.

A little more than a dozen hours passed when Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, when asked about the point guards in the Elite Eight, made a point to compliment Braden Smith.