Texas head coach Sean Miller knows that by preparing for Purdue in the NCAA Tournament, he is really preparing to face the best version of Braden Smith.

Miller had nothing but praise for Smith, who just broke the NCAA all-time assists record in Purdue's first-round win over Queens. Texas' head coach praised Smith's ability to make the game easier for his teammates on the ‘Inside College Basketball Now' podcast with Jon Rothstein.

“If you break Bobby Hurley's assist record — just think about all the games Bobby Hurley played in,” Miller said. “[Braden Smith has] incredible vision, incredible command of the game. Everybody likes their point guard to make the game easier for his teammates. There's no doubt that's his greatest gift. Everybody at Purdue benefits by having him on the court; he's incredible.”

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Smith has been on fire since guiding Purdue to a massive upset win over Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game. The senior is averaging 17.3 points, 9.0 assists and 1.3 steals in his last three games, during which the Boilermakers have won by an average of 17 points.

While Smith struggled with his shot in Purdue's Round of 32 win over Miami, he always finds ways to control the game without scoring. As the best pick-and-roll ball-handler in the country, he spoon-fed Trey Kaufman-Renn 19 points in their win over the Hurricanes.

Texas will need all hands on deck to slow Smith, given its season-long struggles against point guards. The Longhorns have struggled to defend the country's best point guards, recently allowing 28 points and 13 assists to Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. on March 4 and 22 points to Florida's Boogie Fland on Feb. 25.