Last year was a landmark season for the Purdue Boilermakers and their fans. For the first time since 1969, they reached the NCAA Championship game, igniting excitement throughout the community. Although the team faced heartbreak with a loss to Connecticut in the finals, that remarkable run has set high expectations as a new season approaches in less than a month. But the team must cope with the absence of last season’s top scorer, Zach Edey, who has now joined the NBA. Yet, if you ask star guard Braden Smith, he’s confident that the Boilermakers have got one talent who can fill the gap.

As the new Big Ten conference season approaches, Purdue’s dynamic guard duo, Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, sat down for an interview with NBC Sports to discuss their game plan for the upcoming season. During the conversation, Smith mentioned his teammate Trey Kaufman-Renn, highlighting the increased opportunities that await him. This prompted the interviewer to ask whether Kaufman-Renn could seize the chance to shine on the open floor left by Zach Edey’s departure.

Well, Smith didn’t hesitate in his response, revealing some intriguing insights. “I think it goes for my freshman summer when he (Trey) was busting Zach every single day in the summer, scoring on him every time. And obviously, you know how good Zach is, like I mean, he’s scoring on him constantly,” stated Smith.

“Kaufman-Renn busting Zach,” especially considering Edey’s skills as a center and his reputation as a defensive powerhouse—ranking as the second-best rebounder last year with an average of 12.2 rebounds per game—was definitely a surprise. In contrast, Kaufman-Renn averaged only 6.4 points and 4 rebounds during Purdue’s run. Yet, Smith continued to emphasize that the team has complete faith in Kaufmann-Renn’s abilities. 

Trey Kaufman-Renn’s moment to shine for Purdue Boilermakers

“I think we all have that trust and faith in him – when he catches catches it on the block down there that he’s going to score. And I think everybody on this team can tell you that too that when he shoots that hook shot or post fade wherever it is that we think almost 99% of the time it’s going in,” elaborated Smith on TK’s abilities. The 22-year-old forward gears up for his third season at Purdue, after making his mark last year as a regular starter.

Even though he secured a spot in the starting lineup, Kaufman-Renn’s performance often flew under the radar, especially with the presence of Zach Edey, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award winner, dominating the spotlight. While Edey was busy averaging an impressive 25.2 points per game, Kaufmann-Renn managed just 6.4 points. However, with 2x Naismith College Player of the Year now moving on to join the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA, Kaufman-Renn finds himself with a golden opportunity  and he appears more than ready to seize it.

“It means everything, to be honest with you. I’ve waited so long for this. I’ve put in a lot of work for this, so I’m just excited. I don’t want to waste it, for sure,” Kaufman-Renn had told Indy Star last month. And if his words not enough to spotlight his readiness, Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter expressed his own confidence in Kaufman-Renn. He admitted it would be surprising if TK didn’t make the jump to the All-Big Ten list, which recognizes the conference’s top players.

Less than a month left for Kaufman-Renn to grab the spotlight and prove his teammate Braden Smith’s confidence in him is well-founded.