Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery 'Impressed' With Improvement of Purdue's Trey Kaufman-Renn
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Trey Kaufman-Renn may not be Zach Edey, but he's still a pretty damn good basketball player. Iowa coach Fran McCaffery and his team learned that lesson first-hand in Tuesday night's game against No. 7 Purdue.
The junior forward scored 25 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists, leading the Boilermakers to a 90-81 victory over the Hawkeyes.
Kaufman-Renn's big night began early, scoring 12 of Purdue's first 18 points, needing just eight minutes to reach double figures in the scoring column. Although he battled foul trouble in the first half, he came back in the second half and continued to produce at a high level.
His effort on Tuesday night — and throughout the course of the season — has stood out to McCaffery.
"Kaufman-Renn really took his game to another level," McCaffery said. "He's really impressed me. He was really good last year, but he's elite now."
Over the last three weeks, Kaufman-Renn has elevated his game significantly. He's been a dominant scoring threat, hitting the 23-point mark four times in the last five games. The junior entered Tuesday's game against Iowa coming off a big night against Indiana, scoring 23 points and hitting a game-winning shot.
But one of Kaufman-Renn's greatest areas of improvement has come in his ability to pass. Thanks to his prolific scoring ability, Iowa began doubling the 6-foot-9 forward and forcing the ball out of his hands.
That's where his ability to locate his teammates really paid off in the second half.
"He was able to get out of it and make some really nice reads," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "He pump faked the one time, he got CJ (Cox) that three in the corner. He's a good passer. He got him the pocket pass where Fletch(er Loyer) hit the three early in the second half.
"He's really improved his passing, he's done a great job."
Although he's battled some foul trouble in the last few games, Kaufman-Renn has been a difference-maker for Purdue on the court. For the season, he's averaging 18.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting above 60% from the floor.
Kaufman-Renn got plenty of help from junior guard Braden Smith, who dropped 31 points in Tuesday's win over the Hawkeyes. But it was the forward's presence on the floor that made a huge difference in a tight game.
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KAUFMAN-RENN'S FOUL TROUBLE: Trey Kaufman-Renn had another big night for No. 7 Purdue in a 90-81 win over Iowa Tuesday night. But the junior battled foul trouble for a second straight game. CLICK HERE
PURDUE LEADS BIG TEN STANDINGS: With Purdue's win over Iowa and Michigan State's loss to UCLA, the Boilermakers are now sitting atop the Big Ten standings alone. CLICK HERE
SMITH'S HALFTIME MESSAGE PROVIDES SPARK: Purdue lacked energy in the first half on Tuesday night against Iowa. At halftime, Braden Smith reminded his teammates of their goals this season, which provided a major second-half spark. CLICK HERE
WHAT PAINTER SAID: Purdue got its fifth Big Ten road victory over the season, defeating Iowa 90-81. Everything coach Matt Painter said after another Boilermakers victory. CLICK HERE
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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