Trey Kaufman-Renn Shows Why He's Among Best Bigs in Purdue's Win over USC

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Individual honors and accolades isn't the reason Trey Kaufman-Renn came to Purdue. But on Friday night, just one day after being snubbed as a finalist for the Karl Malone Award, the junior forward showed USC, and the country, why he's one of the best big men in the country.

Kaufman-Renn looked like a man on a mission Friday night, finishing the game with 24 points and 10 rebounds, his third double-double of the season. He was eight-of-12 from the floor and connected on eight-of-nine attempts from the free throw line.

The junior also had two blocks, a steal and an assist. He finished the game without a single turnover.

No, Kaufman-Renn wasn't the only Boilermaker that put up big numbers on Friday. Braden Smith scored nine points, dished out 13 assists and recorded five steals. But after the game, the junior guard was quick to come to his teammates defense over the snub.

"We're back with this BS again. We're back with it again," Smith said. "You see what he's doing, you see what he's putting up and you see what he's doing to other people. I find it unbelievable."

Kaufman-Renn feasted on USC's bigs in the post. He seemed to score every time he touched the basketball on Friday night. He cam into the game knowing he'd have an advantage in the low post.

"I thought I had the advantage on the low block," Kaufman-Renn said. "I just tried to catch it as deep as possible and then go quick."

His preparation for Friday night's game paid off, and it's even more evidence as to why he's one of the best big men in the country, regardless of what the voters for the Karl Malone Award think.

Last year around this time, coach Matt Painter was defending Smith, who was omitted from the Bob Cousy Award, presented to the country's top point guard. On Friday night, the longtime leader of the Boilers found himself doing the same thing for Kaufman-Renn.

"What's he supposed to do? He's the fifth- or sixth-most efficient player in college basketball right now. You can't make up the numbers that he has," Painter said. "The thing I don't grab ... how can they not 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 but your numbers are very modest.

"I just don't understand when you win at a very, very high level and you have those numbers and your productive ... but to each their own. That's on them."

Kaufman-Renn entered Friday night's game as one of only four players this century to average 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting 60% from the floor. He's one of the most efficient players in the country this season.

Over the course of his time in West Lafayette, Kaufman-Renn has developed into an automatic scorer and a tremendous rebounder. That's why he picked Purdue — not for the individual accolades.

"When I was getting recruited, I picked Purdue for this reason." Kaufman-Renn said. "I knew it was going to be a great culture, I knew we were going to win and it was something I wanted to be a part of."

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