WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue juniors Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith have been named to the 2025 Naismith Trophy Player of the Year midseason team, announced today by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.
The winner will be announced at the Final Four in San Antonio. The Purdue duo are two of 30 players named to the list and Purdue is one of five schools to have two players on the list (Gonzaga, Rutgers, Iowa State, Tennessee). There are seven Big Ten players among the final 30.
Purdue is looking to have a repeat winner for the third straight year as Zach Edey won the award following both the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Kaufman-Renn, a forward from Sellersburg, Indiana, is averaging 19.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, while shooting 60.2 percent from the field. He been named Big Ten Player of the Week three times and was selected as the Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week for his role in wins at Washington and No. 13 Oregon.
Kaufman-Renn is the only player nationally to average at least 19 points, six rebounds and two assists per game while shooting at least 60 percent from the field. In Big Ten history, only three other players have reached those marks (Zach Edey, Evan Eschmeyer and Chris Webber).
Kaufman-Renn has scored in double-figures in every game and been at his best against ranked teams, averaging 19.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in eight games against ranked teams.
He has scored at least 20 points in 11 games this season, including a career-high 26 points with eight rebounds and four assists against No. 2 Alabama. He matched that career high with a 26-point showing against Ohio State and has recorded the first double-doubles of his career against No. 23 Ole Miss (25 pts, 13 rebs), No. 13 Oregon (23 pts, 11 rebs) and USC (24 pts, 10 rebs).
He has started every game of the last two seasons, and has scored 883 points with 381 rebounds in 99 career games.
A Westfield, Indiana, native Smith is having one of the top seasons thus far by a point guard in NCAA history, averaging 16.4 points, 8.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game, while shooting 45.3 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from 3-point range and 83.8 percent from the free throw line. He is on pace to become the first player since California's Jason Kidd in 1993-94 to average at least 15.0 points, 8.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.
Smith has already recorded eight double-doubles on the season, including four games of at least 20 points and 10 assists. Prior to this season, there had been two 20-point, 10-assist games in Purdue history. He scored a career-high 34 points with 12 assists in a win over Toledo in late December, a victory that started a stretch of 11 wins in 13 games for the Boilermakers.
Smith just wrapped up a January where he scored 158 points, 82 assists and 28 steals, becoming the first player (men's or women's college basketball) this century with at least 150 points, 80 assists and 25 steals in a calendar month.
Smith has already surpassed 400 points, 200 assists, 100 rebounds and 50 steals, making him the first player in Big Ten history to have at least two seasons of 400 points, 200 assists, 100 rebounds and 50 steals.
Smith, one of the favorites for National Player of the Year honors, will play in his 100th career game on Saturday and already has 1,219 career points, 663 assists, 489 rebounds and 168 steals.
The Boilermakers face Wisconsin on Saturday.
The winner will be announced at the Final Four in San Antonio. The Purdue duo are two of 30 players named to the list and Purdue is one of five schools to have two players on the list (Gonzaga, Rutgers, Iowa State, Tennessee). There are seven Big Ten players among the final 30.
Purdue is looking to have a repeat winner for the third straight year as Zach Edey won the award following both the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Kaufman-Renn, a forward from Sellersburg, Indiana, is averaging 19.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, while shooting 60.2 percent from the field. He been named Big Ten Player of the Week three times and was selected as the Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week for his role in wins at Washington and No. 13 Oregon.
Kaufman-Renn is the only player nationally to average at least 19 points, six rebounds and two assists per game while shooting at least 60 percent from the field. In Big Ten history, only three other players have reached those marks (Zach Edey, Evan Eschmeyer and Chris Webber).
Kaufman-Renn has scored in double-figures in every game and been at his best against ranked teams, averaging 19.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in eight games against ranked teams.
He has scored at least 20 points in 11 games this season, including a career-high 26 points with eight rebounds and four assists against No. 2 Alabama. He matched that career high with a 26-point showing against Ohio State and has recorded the first double-doubles of his career against No. 23 Ole Miss (25 pts, 13 rebs), No. 13 Oregon (23 pts, 11 rebs) and USC (24 pts, 10 rebs).
He has started every game of the last two seasons, and has scored 883 points with 381 rebounds in 99 career games.
A Westfield, Indiana, native Smith is having one of the top seasons thus far by a point guard in NCAA history, averaging 16.4 points, 8.7 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game, while shooting 45.3 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from 3-point range and 83.8 percent from the free throw line. He is on pace to become the first player since California's Jason Kidd in 1993-94 to average at least 15.0 points, 8.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game.
Smith has already recorded eight double-doubles on the season, including four games of at least 20 points and 10 assists. Prior to this season, there had been two 20-point, 10-assist games in Purdue history. He scored a career-high 34 points with 12 assists in a win over Toledo in late December, a victory that started a stretch of 11 wins in 13 games for the Boilermakers.
Smith just wrapped up a January where he scored 158 points, 82 assists and 28 steals, becoming the first player (men's or women's college basketball) this century with at least 150 points, 80 assists and 25 steals in a calendar month.
Smith has already surpassed 400 points, 200 assists, 100 rebounds and 50 steals, making him the first player in Big Ten history to have at least two seasons of 400 points, 200 assists, 100 rebounds and 50 steals.
Smith, one of the favorites for National Player of the Year honors, will play in his 100th career game on Saturday and already has 1,219 career points, 663 assists, 489 rebounds and 168 steals.
The Boilermakers face Wisconsin on Saturday.