- Trey Kaufman-Renn was noticeably absent from the Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar awards lists. Purdue and its opponents recognize his impact, though.
- Kaufman-Renn didn’t know “the Kareem thing was an award.” He’s humble, Braden Smith says, and works hard. And that’s enough for the Boilers.
- His play in his junior season is among the most efficient, and it forms a two-headed star for the Big Ten’s top team.
WEST LAFAYETTE — Individual accolades don’t much matter to Trey Kaufman-Renn.
Friday night, the redshirt junior had another dominant showing, Kaufman-Renn’s latest in a season full of them, to lead Purdue basketball over USC 90-72 in Mackey Arena.
He had 24 points, made eight of his 12 field goal attempts and completed his third double-double this season with 10 rebounds, seven of those offensive. For good measure, he added two blocks, one steal and one assist.
Player ratings:Bench was average, which was good enough with starring starters
This is not normal.
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And yet, somehow, what Kaufman-Renn is doing this season is underappreciated.
“You guys see what he does every night and how he does it,” Purdue point guard Braden Smith said of Kaufman-Renn. “He’s a humble dude. Just comes in and works and gets his stuff done. You can’t not like that.”
Kaufman-Renn started all 39 games for Purdue last season as a power forward, a complement in the post to Zach Edey at center for a team that was one victory away from a national championship.
It was a position he started the first two games this season, before center Daniel Jacobsen was injured.
Kaufman-Renn has started at center the last 22 games. He’s scored at least 11 points in all of them. His season stats after manhandling USC read like this: 18.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 60.3% field goals
Turning point, stars and more:Purdue basketball continues hot streak, burying USC to stay atop Big Ten
When the Karl Malone Award semifinalists, for the nation’s top power forward were released this week, Kaufman-Renn was not among the 10 names listed. Obviously. Because Kaufman-Renn plays center.
Well, when the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award semifinalists, those in contention for college basketball’s best center, were named, Kaufman-Renn was again noticeably missing.
“He’s the fifth or sixth most efficient player in college basketball right now. You can’t make up the numbers that he has,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “The thing I don’t grab is … how they can’t acknowledge it when you win big. If you have big time numbers and your team stinks, I got it. Or your team wins all the time and your numbers are very modest.
“(Smith and Kaufman-Renn) both have big time numbers. Obviously Braden is not in that sphere anymore, but (Kaufman-Renn) is. I just don’t understand when you win at a very high level and you have those numbers and you’re productive and your the fourth, fifth, sixth most efficient player in the country, whatever the damn stat is, to each their own.”
Smith took a jab on social media at the compilation of names.
“You see what he’s doing and the numbers he’s putting up and what he’s doing to other people, too, and I just find it unbelievable that he’s doing this every single night and they’re, you know how it goes. I am not going to get into it,” Smith said.
He knows all too well what it’s like to be slighted on these things.
A year ago, amidst leading the Boilermakers to a second consecutive Big Ten title, Smith wasn’t named as a semifinalist for the Bob Cousy Award for the nation’s top point guard.
As for Kaufman-Renn, it matters not.
“I didn’t know that was a thing,” Kaufman-Renn said, laughing. “I didn’t know the Kareem thing was an award.”
If there’s a knock on Kaufman-Renn, it’s his turnovers (2.3 per game) and free throw percentage (63.8).
Friday night, Kaufman-Renn did not turn the ball over.
In his last three games, he’s 16 of 17 from the free throw line and he’s 30 of 36 in the last six games. Kaufman-Renn was due, he said at Thursday’s practice.
But also, he’s worked really, really hard at his shortcomings. And really, really hard at the things he already did well.
Insider:Trey Kaufman-Renn gave IU more than it could handle, and Purdue basketball just enough
And for the last four seasons, he did it against some of the best in college basketball.
“I was around Trevion (Williams), one of the best bigs in the Big Ten. I was around Zach, national player of the year, twice,” Kaufman-Renn said. “When you’re around greatness, especially at your position, it takes on a day-to-day basis. … It’s one of those things where I got lucky. When I was getting recruited, I picked Purdue for this reason.”
Now, regardless of what any individual honors list of players says, Kaufman-Renn is one of the best in college basketball, too.
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
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