Why Trey Kaufman-Renn Believes Gritty Win vs. Northwestern is Beneficial for Purdue
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Considering where the two teams stand in college basketball this season, you might expect Purdue to be a little agitated after pulling out a four-point win over Northwestern on Wednesday night. Trey Kaufman-Renn actually preferred the tough, grind-it-out type of game in Evanston, though.
Purdue clawed back from an 11-point deficit at Welsh-Ryan Arena to defeat Northwestern 70-66, ending a two-game losing streak and picking up its 23rd victory of the season.
After an 11-point, 10-rebound performance, Kaufman-Renn said the Boilermakers can learn a lot from its grittiness and toughness from having to fight back from a large deficit.
"I actually like, personally, for this team, that we won by this margin and the way we did instead of going out and winning by 20," Kaufman-Renn said in a video posted by GoldandBlack.com. "I think that just matters more. I think, at the end, everyone was locked in."
To Kaufman-Renn's point, the Boilermakers have reached the point in the season when they're going to have to fight through some adversity to win games. Teams don't make deep runs in the NCAA Tournament without having to grind out a victory or two.
Wednesday night's victory was especially important for Purdue after losing three of its last four games. The Boilermakers had dropped contests to Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State and needed to get back in the win column to re-establish its confidence.
During the game, Kaufman-Renn said he had a message for the team.
"One of the things I was telling the guys is that we've been talking a lot about trying to stay consistent and doing your job," Kaufman-Renn said. "The flip side of that is, sometimes you do your job and things don't work out. When that happens, everybody is down. Do your job, that's all you need to worry about. That's what I tried to tell the guys. Whether there's 30 seconds left, seven seconds left ... it's the next play."
C.J. Cox delivers by playing his role
Nobody did a better job of taking advantage of their opportunities than C.J. Cox on Wednesday night. The sophomore guard scored 27 points, including 11 in the final 4:30 and a go-ahead three with under one minute to play.
When Purdue's offense was struggling to find offense, Cox stepped up. He was 10-of-13 from the field, but never forced any of his attempts.
"I feel like we needed a little boost," Cox said. "So, just doing my role, being in the right spot and then knocking the shot down."
Cox also demonstrated some of his leadership qualities with time running out and Purdue trailing Northwestern in the second half. Before making the triple to put the Boilers ahead 69-66, he told Kaufman-Renn what to look for when he got the basketball.
"I told Trey, when you get the ball on the short roll, just look to see if that guy is helping up and I'll be wide-open in the corner," Cox said. "He did just that and I was able to get the shot."
Winning games by 20 points or more certainly showcases a team's dominance on the court. But you have to be able to overcome adversity and make big plays in critical moments at this point in the year.
Purdue was in an unfavorable situation late Wednesday night, but found a way to escape with a win.
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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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