Purdue Basketball: Welcome Back, Senior Forward Trey Kaufman-Renn

At the end of the year, Kaufman-Renn received first-team All-Big Ten honors but was not recognized as one of the top power forwards or centers in the country. He was omitted from the Karl Malone (power forward) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (center) awards lists, something his teammate Braden Smith griped about late in the year.

"You guys see it every night — what he does and how he does it. He's a humble dude. Just comes in, works, and gets his stuff done. Can't not like that, you know," Smith said. "We're back with this BS again, excuse my language," he said. "We're back with it again. You see what he's doing and the numbers he's putting up and what he's doing to other people."

Whether he received national attention or not, Kaufman-Renn proved to be one of the most dominant big men in college basketball last season. The ability to make that kind of leap in one season speaks volumes to his talent and work ethic.

Purdue's latest dominant big man

Kaufman-Renn may not have that 7-foot size that has become synonymous with Purdue basketball, but he is as skilled as any big man they've had in terms of offensive production.

The combination of Kaufman-Renn and Smith in the short roll was one of the toughest to defend. Purdue established its offensive presence by getting him the ball at the nail of the free throw line and allowing him to do his work.

Most times, Kaufman-Renn was comfortable working to get his own shot, whether that came from a jump hook or backing a defender down to the basket. When shots weren't available, he was an effective passer.

Kaufman-Renn ended the year shooting at a 59.5% clip and averaged 2.2 assists per game.

No, Kaufman-Renn wasn't as effective on the glass as Zach Edey, Caleb Swanigan, Isaac Haas, or other big men to play at Purdue. But in terms of his offensive production and ability to carry a heavy workload, he's as good as anyone who has played in the post in West Lafayette.

Kaufman-Renn's learning curve

As one of the veteran players on the team, Kaufman-Renn had to grow into a leader for the Boilermakers last season. That's not always an easy task. And, at times, it was something that bit him in the backside.

Kaufman-Renn and coach Matt Painter talked about having better body language on the court when calls didn't go his way. At times, it was obvious that emotions got the best of the junior forward.

Additionally, Kaufman-Renn found himself in foul trouble too frequently. It became a point of emphasis midway through the season, especially when he picked up avoidable fouls on moving screens.

"I need to do a better job of showing better body language," Kaufman-Renn said in February. "I'm a guy who's all about trying to control what you can control, but when you consistently go back and watch film — and I'll do it today and the same thing is going to happen —and there's four or five bad calls against you and you go down to the other end and you're getting hacked, it's very difficult to contain yourself. It's something I have to work on, it's my responsibility to control my emotions."

To his credit, Kaufman-Renn gathered himself and proved to be the leader the team needed. After the Boilermakers lost four straight games in February, he called a players-only meeting to rally the team and get Purdue's season back on track.

When it mattered most, Kaufman-Renn learned to take on an important leadership role.

Looking ahead to 2025-26

Kaufman-Renn will enter his senior season as one of the top players in college basketball. He'll likely be a preseason All-Big Ten and All-American selection. He earned it after a dominant junior campaign.

The biggest areas to address this offseason are foul trouble and body language. Those were the two issues with Kaufman-Renn's game last year, and will likely be a point of emphasis heading into the 2025-26 season. Although he averaged 6.5 rebounds per game, Purdue could probably use more consistency from him on the glass.

Although Kaufman-Renn is perfectly fine taking on a large responsibility, he'll also get some help this season. Purdue returns 7-foot-4 Daniel Jacobsen to help with rim protection, shot blocking, and rebounding. The Boilers also landed Oscar Cluff from the transfer portal, a dominant performer on the glass at South Dakota State last season.

If Kaufman-Renn does find himself in foul trouble a time or two, Purdue won't be in the same dire situation as it was a year ago. That should alleviate some pressure and allow Kaufman-Renn to play more aggressively in certain situations.

Kaufman-Renn is a player capable of first-team All-American status and might be a contender for Big Ten Player of the Year by the end of his senior year.

Trey Kaufman-Renn 2024-25 stats & highlights

Stats

• 20.1 points per game
• 6.5 rebounds per game
• 2.2 assists per game
• 59.5% FG
• 64.8% FT

Highlights

More from 'Welcome Back/Welcome Aboard' series

• Welcome Back, senior guard  Fletcher Loyer  — CLICK HERE
• Welcome Back, sophomore guard CJ Cox — CLICK HERE
• Welcome back, freshman center Daniel Jacobsen — CLICK HERE