As the No. 2 Purdue basketball team handed the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide an 87-80 loss on Thursday night, many players on the Boilermakers answered the call. With the Purdue basketball team looking to top the rankings, it will be with the contributions of big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, as his explosive performance came with the help of a challenge by head coach Matt Painter.
Besides Boilermakers guard Braden Smith leading the team with 29 points, Kaufman-Renn was huge in helping the program out-rebound the Crimson Tide. Along with the 19 points, shooting nine of 16 from the field, with five assists, Kaufman-Renn collected 15 rebounds, eight of them on the offensive side of the ball.
Not to mention that the outing comes after the senior missed the first two games of the season with an injury, as he was no doubt locked in to show out in his season debut. The big man would reveal that Painter had said to him about needing him to rebound more.
“I know at the four position, Coach Paint is wanting me to rebound more,” Kaufman-Renn said, according to Sports Illustrated. “I showed him I could today.”
Purdue basketball's Matt Painter speaks highly of Trey Kaufman-Renn
While the Purdue basketball head coach has led the team and built up productive players, especially big men like Zach Edey from a few seasons ago, Kaufman-Renn is looking to prove his worth. Painter would speak on Kaufman-Renn's performance and how his outing was a difference-maker.
“I thought our centers did a good job between them; they had 18 rebounds in 40 minutes. Obviously, TK [Kaufman-Renn] got 15 in 34 minutes, and I think that's the difference,” Painter said. “We had four more turnovers than them and 24 more rebounds, so we're plus-20. You're putting yourself in a pretty good position.”
Another way to describe his game was momentum-shifting, as Braden Smith expressed.
“I thought he definitely ignited it today. He was jumping for those first couple that were out there,” Smith said. “The big guys see that, and then they play harder. It’s like momentum when Trey crashes the boards like that.”
Kaufman-Renn looks to keep it going as Purdue next faces Akron on Sunday.
