Express Preseason Prospectus: Trey Kaufman-Renn

Express Preseason Prospectus is GoldandBlack.com’s fall series analyzing each of the Boilermakers’ anticipated rotation players, their roles, expectations and more. Today, Trey Kaufman-Renn.

The junior forward/center returns after starting every game last season next to the production-thwarting vortex that was Zach Edey and splitting minutes, essentially, with veteran floor-spacer Mason Gillis.

Nevertheless, Kaufman-Renn averaged 6.4 points and four rebounds in less than 17 minutes per game, numbers that would convert to 11.3 and 7.1 over 30 minutes. Now, factor in that Kaufman-Renn now becomes the Boilermakers’ post-scoring centerpiece and it’s evident his production could really take off this season.

THE OUTLOOK AND ROLE

TKR — pardon the informality — is the biggest moving piece on Purdue’s roster, and the biggest domino around which lineups are built.

Purdue will use him as both an undersized-by-Purdue-standards center as well as the forward position he mostly manned last season. Where he plays will determine the nature of the lineups around him. When he’s at the 5, the Boilermakers will be smaller and more athletic at the 4 with Camden Heide likely playing the big-forward spot. Those could be better offensive lineups because of Kaufman-Renn’s skill set and ability to play offensively all over the floor, as well as the extra shooter it would make room for. With Kaufman-Renn at the 4, he’d play next to a 7-footer like Will Berg or Daniel Jacobsen, lineups that could hinder spacing some but also aid Purdue’s ability to rebound and protect the rim, while also alleviating some of the burden on Kaufman-Renn to guard and block out bigger centers for entire games.

Purdue will play both ways, though it remains to be seen whether there will be a primary style.

What is certain, though, is that Kaufman-Renn now moves into one of the best jobs in college basketball as Purdue’s primary post option, where productivity is generally assured. There’s not a player in the Big Ten, and there are few in the country probably, better positioned to triple their numbers from a year ago.

KEYS TO SUCCESS

There are many.

• As the post alpha, TKR now becomes one of Purdue’s most important decision-makers offensively. He will face double-teams and the same sorts of different gags every night that Edey faced. He is an even more methodical post scorer than Edey as well. Kaufman-Renn’s decision-making, recognition, passing and ability to take care of the basketball while still playing to his strengths and comfortably come to the absolute forefront now.
• Purdue is a ball-screen team now, whether that be baked into motion or scripted from the sideline. Kaufman-Renn now becomes much more involved in that, with his short-roll capabilities, pick-and-pop and catch-and-drive capabilities giving Purdue a very different look. But it starts with setting good screens, having great chemistry with Braden Smith and finishing at a really high rate despite being more of a below-the-rim paint scorer than Edey was as a roll man.
• Foul trouble. Purdue needs him on the floor, and when he’s the 5, playing drop coverage in pick-and-roll will be an adjustment. Offenses will attack him, as they do all 5s. But also, watch those charges on offense.
• Kaufman-Renn shot only 56 percent at the foul line last season on the fourth-most attempts on the team, leaving a good deal of meat on the bone there. After an off-season spent working on form shooting, the hope is that will translate to the stripe.
• Any threes you get from your frontcourt are just gravy, but Kaufman-Renn can shoot. If he makes a few early in the season and makes defenses respect it, that could open up a lot of possibilities for Purdue offensively. Purdue won’t need him shooting high volume — he was 8-of-24 from last season — but with more minutes will likely come more attempts.

BURNING QUESTIONS

• How does Purdue help Kaufman-Renn defending around the basket in the event he’s up against a true center who can actually play? There’s going to have to be some systematic help there, as there was even for Edey. Purdue has always doubled the post.
• Smith’s and Kaufman-Renn’s chemistry together is going to be immensely important. There’s no replacing the uncanny connection Smith had with Edey, but the ball-screen stuff is going to be so important for this team offensively, especially in rolling TKR into deep post touches.
• Can the 7-footers be impactful enough in bigger lineups to complement TKR at the 4 and fill in some of the rebounding and shot-blocking gaps?
• Rebounding. It’s not just about getting rebounds when you’re the 5, but also creating them. TKR’s effort blocking out and ability to avoid fouls in that arena will really matter.