Kaufmann-Renn/Cox spark Purdue

Kaufmann/Renn/Cox Spark Purdue

written by: Steven Stremming, Excel H Sports/USBWAA

photos by: Greg Flint, Excel H Sports/Flint Photography

In yet another sold out crowd at Mackey Arena, the Purdue Boilermakers (#11 Excel H Sports rankings) faced Alabama (#1 Excel H Sports rankings) in a match where there were nine ties and ten lead changes.

To say it was competitive is a large understatement.

Alabama’s inside game featured three nearly seven-footers, Rutgers transfer Clifford Omoruyi, Devils Lake, North Dakota’s Grant Nelson and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Sophomore Jarin Stevenson to start the contest.

Then you add in Muscle Shoals, Alabama’s, All-America guard Mark Sears and Omaha, Nebraska’s Latrell Wrightsell, Jr. and that makes a formidable tangent.

Purdue coming into the game was successful in their three outings with a cast that doesn’t include Zach Edey.

But Purdue does have one of the best, if not the best point guard in the country in Braden Smith.

Smith has been nothing short of the word spectacular and he showed it again tonight against Alabama as he once again, while having a off-night shooting (six of eighteen) ran the team with a calibrated purpose.

Smith did score seventeen points but handed out ten assists and collected six rebounds while only committing a lone turn-over in thirty-six minutes on the floor.

Another player who stepped up and played to his potential was Silver Creek grad, Trey Kaufmann-Renn who showed skill in the paint with deceptive movement against the Tide’s interior.

Kaufmann-Renn led the Boilers with 26 points on 12 of 23 from the field and hauled in eight rebounds, tying him with Camden Heide for the game.

The spark of the night came with Alabama holding a two-point lead with Lexington, Massachusetts’ C J Cox scored nine points in less than a minute to push the Boilers on top.

Fletcher Loyer again provided a strong floor game with 17 points and key baskets at critical times.

Caleb Furst played his best game of the year while scoring six points, including a four of five night from the line.

For the game, Alabama true-freshman, Labaron Philon came off the bench (normally starts) and led the Tide in scoring with 18 on seven of ten shooting, five rebounds and four assists before fouling out of the contest.

Mark Sears scored 15 points, six assists and tallied three blocks while Grant Nelson added twelve points and Wrightsell, Jr. adding eleven.

Following is courtesy of Cainan Harper/Indiana Sports Network

#13 Purdue’s Coach Matt Painter Post-Game Press Conference After 87-78 Win Over #2 Alabama – YouTube

matt painter part 2

#2 Alabama’s Coach Nate Oats Post-Game Press Conference After 84-76 Loss to #13 Purdue

#13 Purdue MBB Players Post-Game Press Conference After 87-78 Win over #2 Alabama

 

Following is courtesy of Purdue University Athletics

• Alabama was the highest-ranked, non-conference opponent that Purdue has ever beaten in Mackey Arena.
• Purdue is now 6-6 in its last 12 games played against the AP No. 2-ranked team.
• Purdue is now 4-0 for the fourth straight season (8-0 in 2021-22, 13-0 in 2022-23, 7-0 in 2023-24).
• Purdue has now won 39 straight regular-season, non-conference games, which is tied for the fourth-longest streak in NCAA history. Eight of the wins have come against teams ranked in the top 11 of the AP poll, including six coming against the top seven.
• Purdue has won 25 straight games in the month of November with seven of the wins coming against teams ranked in the nation’s top 11 of the AP poll. With Arizona falling, Purdue has the nation’s-longest win streak in the month of March.
• Purdue is now 10-2 since the 2021-22 season against top-10 ranked teams, and 20-6 against ranked teams. Both marks are the best in the country.
• Purdue has won 21 straight home games, and 30 straight games against non-conference opposition.
• Purdue has won 12 of its last 15 games against top-15 ranked teams.
• Purdue is now 96-19 since the start of the 2021-22 season.
• Purdue’s three turnovers tied the school record for the fewest turnovers in a game.
• Trey Kaufman-Renn scored a career-high 26 points with eight rebounds and four assists.
• Fletcher Loyer scored 17 points with two rebounds and two assists. In last year’s contest with Alabama, Loyer had four points, going 0-of-5 from the field.
• Braden Smith tallied his 11^th career double-double with 17 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, while committing just one turnover. He is the first player in at least the last 25 years to have at least 17 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds against a top-2 ranked opponent.
• Smith moved into third place on Purdue’s career assists list with 483 in just 78 games. He only trails Bruce Parkinson (690) and Brian Walker (572).
• Smith also moved into 23^rd on the Big Ten’s all-time assists list.
• C.J. Cox scored 11 points, including three straight 3-pointers as Purdue turned a two-point deficit into a seven-point lead.
• Purdue’s bench scored 27 points, going 8-of-13 from the field to go along with 14 rebounds.