Tom Izzo Lauds Development, Improvement of Purdue's Trey Kaufman-Renn

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo piled heaps of praise on the growth and development of Purdue big man Trey Kaufman-Renn following Tuesday's game.

Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) scores in the first half against the Michigan State Spartans | Dale Young-Imagn Images

When Trey Kaufman-Renn first arrived on Purdue's campus in 2021, Matt Painter knew he could become an All-Big Ten caliber player. The forward's role alongside Zach Edey didn't lend itself to those type of accolades, but he's proven to be one of the best big men in the country during his junior campaign. Michigan State coach Tom Izzo learned that lesson on Tuesday night.

Yes, Michigan State defeated Purdue 75-66 at the Breslin Center, but the Spartans still struggled to contain Kaufman-Renn. The junior forward posted a game-high 24 points, making nine-of-13 shots from the floor and connecting on six-of-seven free throw attempts.

After the final buzzer sounded in East Lansing on Tuesday night, Izzo was complimentary of the work Painter and his staff have put in to help Kaufman-Renn transition into one of the toughest big men in the Big Ten.

"The job he's done with Kaufman-Renn is unbelievable," Izzo said. "He's taken his game to another level."

Kaufman-Renn is averaging 19.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game this season. He's also shooting at a 61.2% clip. The junior has been particularly good over the last six games, scoring at least 22 points in each and averaging 24.7 points per game in that stretch.

Over the last two seasons, Zach Edey and Braden Smith were the focal points of Purdue's offense. Although Kaufman-Renn was a starter during the 2023-24 campaign and saw plenty of action during the 2022-23 season, he was never the go-to guy offensively.

That's changed during the 2024-25 season, as he's now Smith's running mate in the Purdue offense. As a result, Kaufman-Renn's scoring average has improved by a staggering 13.2 points per game from last year.

Now that Michigan State doesn't have Purdue on the schedule — unless there's a meeting in the Big Ten Tournament or NCAA Tournament later this season — Izzo said he's going to be pulling hard to see Kaufman-Renn succeed in West Lafayette.

"He redshirted his first year, kind of did it the way some people do it," he said. "I will pull for him now harder than anybody, because I love the way he's done it, I love his demeanor, he's really a good player ... I think that kid is getting better every day."

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