How Good Has Purdue's Senior Trio Been During Elite Eight Run?
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Since Purdue began practicing in the summer, its senior core of Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer talked about winning a national championship. That trio has been playing at its highest level through the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Thursday night, Purdue clinched a spot in the Elite Eight because of a 79-77 win over Texas in the Sweet 16. Kaufman-Renn put himself in a position to get a tip-in with 0.7 seconds left after Smith missed a jump shot, lifting the Boilermakers to the narrow victory.
Purdue knew it needed big performances from that senior group to make a deep run in March Madness. Just how good have they been in the first three games of the tournament?
Combined, Smith, Kaufman-Renn and Loyer are averaging 58 of Purdue's 87.3 points per game in the first three games of the NCAA Tournament. All of them have scored at least 24 points in at least one game. In total, they have scored 174 of the team's 262 points, or 66.4% of all scoring.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleBut scoring isn't the only way this group has helped get Purdue to the Elite Eight for the second time in three years. Here's a look at what each player has done so far.
Fletcher Loyer
- Points — 18.6 ppg
- Rebounds — 2.0 rpg
- Assists — 2.0 apg
- FG — 58.6%
- 3FG — 60%
Loyer has provided Purdue with lights-out shooting through the first three games of the NCAA Tournament. He's averaging 18.6 points per game while shooting 58,6% from the floor and 60% from the three-point line.
The senior sharp-shooter had his biggest performance in Purdue's 79-69 victory over Miami, going off for 24 points while hitting 6-of-7 shots from the field and going 4-of-4 from long range. When the Boilermakers struggled to find shots, Loyer stepped up to help punch their ticket to the Sweet 16.
In Thursday's Elite Eight game against Texas, Loyer's sharp-shooting was critically important. Purdue finished the game just 4-of-20 from long range, with Loyer accounting for all four makes. He was 4-of-8 and finished the game with 18 points.
Loyer has scored at least 14 points in every game and has made exactly four triples in each contest.
Braden Smith
- Points — 18.0 ppg
- Rebounds — 2.3 rpg
- Assists — 7.0 apg
- FG — 44.2%
- 3FG — 30.8%
Smith started this tournament hot, scoring 26 points and dishing out eight assists against Queens, breaking the NCAA record. He was 10-of-15 from the floor and knocked down 4-of-6 attempts from three-point range.
The All-American guard hasn't been nearly as efficient shooting the basketball, but he's continued to facilitate at a high level and can get points when Purdue needs them. He has scored 12 points or more in every contest and has accounted for at least five assists.
In Thursday's win over Texas, Smith's patience and skill with the basketball played an important role in advancing to the Sweet 16. The Boilers totaled just four turnovers for the game, with Smith ending the game with only two.
Had Texas had more fastbreak opportunities, it may have been a different story in San Jose.
Trey Kaufman-Renn
- Points — 21.3 ppg
- Rebounds — 8.7 rpg
- Assists — 1.6 apg
- FG — 63.6%
Kaufman-Renn has taken his game to a new level in the postseason. It started in the Big Ten Tournament, but it has translated nicely into the NCAA Tournament. The senior forward has been Purdue's top scorer and rebounder, laying it all on the line every single night.
Kaufman-Renn was the hero in Purdue's win over Texas in the Sweet 16, getting a tip-in with 0.7 seconds left to lift the Boilers to a 79-77 win to advance to the Elite Eight. What he's done in this tournament, though, is All-American caliber.
Through three games, Kaufman-Renn is averaging 21.3 points per game and is shooting 63.6% from the floor. He has scored 20-plus points in two games and has collected at least eight rebounds in all three games.
Without question, Kaufman-Renn is setting the tone in each game because of his physicality. It's really paying off for the Boilermakers.
Purdue's other starters contributing
Those three seniors are doing some heavy lifting, but they're also getting some major contributions from fellow starters Oscar Cluff and C.J. Cox. Both have really provided the Boilers with a boost.
Cox has been excellent on the defensive end while also scoring in double digits in each of the first three games. He is averaging 10.6 points per contest, providing Purdue with an extra perimeter shooter alongside Loyer. Cox was 6-of-8 from behind the three-point line in the first two games of the tournament.
Cluff helps Purdue with its size and rebounding. The senior center is averaging 9.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. He gives the Boilers a big body in the post and someone who can collect offensive misses and turn them into points.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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