Purdue's Braden Smith Reacts to Trey Kaufman-Renn's Parting Message

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Apr 10, 2025 5:09 PM ET

Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn led the Purdue Boilermakers all the way to the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, only to see their season end on a last-second go-ahead basket.

In the Midwest Region quarterfinals, Purdue was handed a 62-60 loss to eventual NCAA runner-up Houston Cougars, ending Smith and Kaufman-Renn's third season with the program.

It was a breakout year for the forward from Sellersburg, Indiana. Seeing Zach Edey depart for the NBA in 2024, Kaufman-Renn improved substantially in his junior season, averaging career-highs of 20.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists on his way to third-team All-American honors.

Following Florida's national championship win over Houston, Kaufman-Renn put a wrap on the 2024-25 season with a post on Instagram, sharing numerous photos from the year as well.

"Year 3 ✔️," Kaufman-Renn wrote on Instagram.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Trey Kaufman-Renn (@trey_renn)

Kaufman-Renn and Smith joined the Boilermakers together in the 2022 recruiting class. Smith received the starting nod instantly during his freshman season and hasn't looked back. Kaufman-Renn, on the other hand, took a back seat to center Zach Edey during his first two seasons.

Smith reacted to his teammate's parting message to the 2024-25 season, writing "" in the comment section.

This season, both Purdue stars earned All-American honors and were each named to the first-team All-Big Ten. Smith improved his scoring and playmaking from a season ago, averaging 15.8 points and 8.7 assists (second in the nation).

Both Smith and Kaufman-Renn could be potential picks in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft. However, with a year of eligibility remaining for each, Purdue could be back in title contention if they elect to return.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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