In Trey Kaufman-Renn's Absence, Jack Benter Becomes New Bright Spot for Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — There were only a few hours between Jack Benter learning that he was going to be a starter on Tuesday night and the opening tipoff. First-game jitters or not, the redshirt freshman was going to fill in for injured All-Big Ten forward Trey Kaufman-Renn in the season opener against Evansville.

By the first media timeout, Benter looked like one of Purdue's seasoned veterans on the floor. He had already hit a three-pointer, grabbed two rebounds, and blocked a shot at the rim, drawing some loud applause from the nearly 15,000 fans inside Mackey Arena.

Maybe it's a bit cliche in sports, but Benter was ready to take advantage of his opportunity.

"It's just a next guy up mentality. I have to be ready to go, no matter what, for the game," Benter said. "I just started the game instead of coming off the bench."

Benter looked comfortable running alongside Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer. So comfortable, in fact, that he ended the contest with 11 points, which included three triples in his first career game at Purdue. He also had six rebounds, two assists, and a block.

That effort helped top-ranked Purdue cruise to an 82-51 victory over Evansville to start the year with a win.

Purdue Boilermakers forward Liam Murphy (5) defends guard Jack Benter (14) | Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Fans hadn't seen Benter on the floor, as he spent last season as a redshirt, so they might have been surprised to see that kind of effort from the Brownstown native. Nobody in Purdue's locker room was shocked by how he performed.

"I thought he did some really good things defensively, especially in help. His awareness and knowing what's going on," coach Matt Painter said. "He's a cerebral guy, he's a good passer, he has great range on his shot. He's someone in that position who can handle the basketball and pass the basketball. He played point guard at times in high school."

Whether it was his effort on the glass, knocking down threes, or defending players like Keishon Porter and Joshua Hughes, Benter put together an outstanding opening night performance. It speaks to how much depth Purdue has on its roster.

Benter confident in first start

Evansville had a 7-6 lead on Purdue less than four minutes into the game. After a Leif Moeller missed shot, Benter grabbed the rebound and got the ball into the hands of Braden Smith. The point guard then found Benter trailing for a wide-open three-pointer.

The ball splashed through the net, Purdue took a 9-7 advantage and never looked back.

In those situations, not every player would have the confidence to pull the trigger. Benter didn't hesitate, knocked down the shot and put Purdue in front before the first media timeout.

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Benter clearly has a lot of confidence in his ability as a player, but he also has the support of his head coach to take those shots when they come his way.

"Let it rip, shoot the basketball if you're open," Painter said. "We can't rebound your turnover, right? So, if you've got a guy you feel like can shoot 40% from three and you feel like you can get 20 to 25% of those offensive rebounds, those are positive plays, makes or misses."

Benter was 4-of-7 from the field, making 3-of-6 shots from three-point range on Tuesday night. Obviously, the redshirt freshman made a lot more winning plays than just knocking down triples, but his ability to shoot gives Purdue another offensive weapon opponents must account for.

"It's another shooter, another ball-handler, and he's athletic," Loyer said of Benter. "When you have guards one through four who can all dribble, pass, and shoot, it's very hard to guard, especially when you have size, whether it's Oscar [Cluff] or Daniel [Jacobsen] down low."

Benter confident in first start

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