Trey Kaufman-Renn Invaluable in No. 10 Purdue's Thrilling Win Over Indiana
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The stomachs of everyone inside Mackey Arena was churning when Friday night's game between No. 10 Purdue and Indiana came down to the final seconds. With the Boilermakers trailing 76-75, Braden Smith got the ball into the hands of Trey Kaufman-Renn.
Like he's done a thousand times in practice, Kaufman-Renn put a spin move on Indiana center Oumar Ballo, got the ball into his right hand and attempted a jump-hook shot with just 11 seconds remaining.
Mackey Arena stood silent while the ball was in the air, as Purdue's hopes of a third straight Big Ten depended on the trajectory of the ball. The shot went through the net, giving the Boilermakers a 77-76 advantage with little time on the clock.
In one of the biggest rivalry games in college basketball, Kaufman-Renn wasn't nearly as nervous as everyone else in West Lafayette. The junior forward trusted his training.
"I felt good shooting it," Kaufman-Renn said. "I don't know, I felt like I was in a groove with my touch this game and, I don't know, felt comfortable so I shot it.
"I just knew Ballo, he's a bigger defender so he's slower foot, I knew I could get to my spin. That's a shot that I practice."
On the following possession, Gicarri Harris blocked a shot attempted by Myles Rice. The ball fell into the hands of Kaufman-Renn, who then shuffled it off to Fletcher Loyer. The junior guard stepped to the line and knocked down a pair of free throws, making the score 79-76.
Indiana had one last try to send the game to overtime, but a throw down the court was intercepted by Kaufman-Renn, who then knocked down two free throws after being fouled.
Purdue escaped a major scare, defeating the Hoosiers 81-76.
Kaufman-Renn ended the night with 23 points, making 10-of-13 shots from the floor. While a number of guys wearing a Purdue jersey made a difference, it was the one wearing No. 4 who was the most impactful.
And when the game was on the line, he was trusted to take the last shot.
"Trey gives us a different look. He's able to catch the ball, go make a play and he's great in the one-on-one," Braden Smith said. "With Trey coming in and making big-time plays — you guys were asking about that shot, he works on that every day. We trust him shooting it."
As thrilling as those final 15 seconds were for Purdue, Indiana was incredibly disruptive on the defensive side. The goal was to get Kaufman-Renn a better look closer to the basket, but the Hoosiers forced the forward out to the free throw line.
"That wasn't clean ... we were very fortunate," coach Matt Painter said. "Trey makes a great play, but give Indiana credit, they pushed him out and forced him into a 15-foot jump hook."
Kaufman-Renn's final play will get talked about for years among those in Boilermaker Country, but his impact stretched much further. When he picked up his second foul in the first half and was forced to sit, Purdue struggled to keep IU off the glass.
By halftime, the Hoosiers owned a 19-12 advantage in the rebounding category and were ahead 41-37 on the scoreboard. Although the Boilers outrebounded their rivals by one in the second half, the moments when Kaufman-Renn wasn't on the floor were ugly.
"I thought they manhandled us a couple of times at the rim, I thought they got to the ball quicker than we did," Painter said of Indiana, particularly pointing to the first half.
When Kaufman-Renn picked up his fourth foul with just under 10 minutes to play, Indiana owned a 60-58 lead. The Hoosiers pushed the advantage to 67-61, but the junior forward provided a major spark in the final six minutes, getting six points, a rebound and a steal.
More importantly, his big body helped keep Indiana off the glass in a pivotal stretch.
As good as his night was, there was one criticism of Kaufman-Renn's game from his head coach — and it was a legitimate one. After the game, Painter said the forward needs to be able to stay in the game and not pick silly fouls, especially when it comes to moving screens.
"He's worked really hard, he's put in a lot of time," Painter said. "He's always been making those improvements. Now he's got to be more accountable ... that's where he's got to improve, because he has to stay in the game."
Without Kaufman-Renn, Purdue probably doesn't extend its winning streak against Indiana. The Boilers have now won three consecutive against the Hoosiers, with a chance to make it four in February.
If they want to extend their streak, they'll probably need another strong showing from Kaufman-Renn.
"He's one of the best bigs in the country," Painter said. "He's been really consistent for us."
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KAUFMAN-RENN HITS GAME WINNER: Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn had the most important play of the game, hitting a floater with 11 seconds left to give the Boilermakers a late lead. CLICK HERE
PAINT CREW APPLAUDS WOODSON: Before the start of Friday's game between No. 10 Purdue and Indiana, The Paint Crew gave IU coach Mike Woodson and interesting welcome to Mackey Arena. CLICK HERE
