No true Purdue Boilermakers basketball fan will soon forget the legacy left behind in West Lafayette by two-time national player of the year, Zach Edey. The 7-4 big man gave all one player could give during his time with the Boilers; Purdue reached the national championship game last year, the first time they had done that since 1969, and that would not have been remotely possible without him manning his post.
How the Boilermakers respond to Edey’s absence from the middle of the paint this season has been and will continue to be a major story line for Purdue; their ability to find players to fill his 25.2 points and 12.2 rebounds in 2023-24 will undoubtedly define them and dictate how far they go in March and April. However, now that Edey is making his mark as a rookie with the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA, one particular holdover from last season’s magical squad is making fans of the black and gold less downcast and eager to hold on to hopes of March Madness glory.
Trey Kaufman-Renn Stepping Up To ‘Boilermaker Star’ Status
Last year as a sophomore, Trey Kaufman-Renn started all 39 games for Purdue. Despite only logging 17 minutes per game, he averaged a respectable 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest; if given more minutes, his numbers jumped to 15.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per 40 minutes of play.
His most productive games came when the lights were brightest. Against 9th-ranked Illinois in January, Kaufman-Renn led his team in scoring and poured in a season-high 23 points, and he averaged 14.5 points in the Boilermakers’ first two games of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
This season, Kaufman-Renn has played like a man on a mission, one that includes putting his team on his back and carrying them to victories. Through Purdue’s first eight games, Kaufman-Renn is making his case for being the one to carry on Edey’s numbers. He leads the team in scoring (19.1) and rebounding (7.1), all while shooting a blistering 60.4% from the field. Arguably, the Boilermakers would be nowhere near the #8 ranking they currently enjoy without TKR.
For his efforts, Kaufman-Renn was named Big 10 Player of the week for games played November 25 through December 1.
As he did the previous year, Kaufman-Renn has stepped up thus far this season when his best was needed against premium competition. His season-high 26 points came against then-ranked #2 Alabama, and he pulled down a season-best 13 rebounds against Ole Miss in last week’s Rady Children’s Invitational championship game, which was won by the Boilers, 80-78, to earn the tournament MVP honors.
Matt Painter Heaps Praise On His Junior Forward
Purdue head coach Matt Painter has noticed the rise in Kaufman-Renn’s game, and it is not just the points he is scoring in Edey’s absence.
When Painter went “small” with his starting lineup against Marshall on November 23–inserting forward Camden Heide and guard Myles Colvin in place of Gicarri Harris and big man Will Berg–it was not all his idea. He had some help making that decision from an unlikely source; Kaufman-Renn openly advocated for Painter to go small-ball weeks before the coach made the switch.
This meant Kaufman-Renn would be THE focus down on the blocks, which has led to his scoring surge. In fact, Painter has lamented when Purdue’s offense falls out of sync, it traces back to drifting away from looking for Kaufman-Renn. “We missed him” has been his answer a number of times when asked about certain offensive woes.
As the new “big man,” the 6-7 Kaufman-Renn relishes the opportunity to grow his game. However, against Ole Miss, the newly-found abundance of scoring chances down low has also given him more chances to be fouled and go to the free throw line. In the tournament final in San Diego, he made just 9 of 15 attempts from the charity stripe, but Painter recognized another confidence boost for his center’s still-developing game.
Painter desired to have that confidence stay intact.
“You’ve got to be encouraging with him and just tell him to keep at it,” Painter said. “Because you’ll see that with some guys. You’ll see that when they start missing free throws. Now they don’t want it. But it’s not just for him scoring the ball. He’s done such a good job making decisions and passing. So whether that’s in the low post or the pocket passes, he’s really taking a big step in his decision-making.”
Kaufman-Renn and his Boiler mates open up Big 10 play on Thursday, December 5, at Penn State. Tip-off is set for 6:30 ET, and the game will be broadcast on FS1.
