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Purdue picked up a big recruiting win this week with the news that four-star forward Trey Kaufman has committed to the Boilermakers.
The 6’8” forward is a four star recruit and ranked by the 247Sports Composite rankings as the 41st best recruit in his class, as well as the second best recruit in the state of Indiana. Kaufman chose the Boilermakers over Indiana and also had offers from North Carolina, Louisville, Clemson, Virginia and a number of other major collegiate programs.
He is the second verbal commit for 2021, joining four-star forward Caleb Furst, who is ranked by 247Sports as the 35th best recruit in 2021 and the top recruit from the state of Indiana. That means the Boilermakers currently have the top two recruits from in-state in 2021, beating out rival Indiana for both commits.
While Furst can play both the power forward and center positions. Kaufman has seen time at both the power forward and wing spot. The duo should provide a strong 1-2 punch in the frontcourt in the near future for the Boilermakers.
“The way I want to play is more suited to them than any of the other schools,” Kaufman stated during his announcement. “My game fits them the best...not just being a 4, but being a 3, too. That’s where my body’s going.”
This is a particularly big win for Matt Painter and the Boilermakers because they haven’t always fared well this far south in Indiana. Kaufman, who isn’t far removed from the Louisville market, comes from an area Indiana and Louisville have typically done well recruiting in. Painter was able to snag Kaufman not only away from Indiana and Louisville, but also major powerhouses Virginia and North Carolina.
“The goal for myself first off is to just become a better player, maximize my potential and get as good at basketball as I can get,” Kaufman said. “But for me it’s more centered around team goals. It’s the Big Ten championship, NCAA championship, all the success we can get as a team.”
Kaufman and Furst now fill the two available scholarships Purdue has for the 2021 class. But with new transfer rules likely, there’s a chance Painter could over-sign if he finds an attractive third player to add to the 2021 class.