Kansas head coach Bill Self looked to be in a bit of trouble during summer workouts when his team was going to be centered around No. 1 2026 recruit Tyran Stokes. Just a few months later, though, he saw the return of Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White to help take the pressure off Stokes. Then Self landed his white whale, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and now the Jayhawks look unstoppable.
Even after being drafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, Kaufman-Renn wanted one more shot in college, and not just to help his draft stock, but to do something he came so close to, but never accomplished at Purdue.
Win a National Championship.
"The big opportunity I saw is, that as a basketball fan that I am, I got to play for Coach [Matt] Painter and then now I get to play for Coach Self," Kaufman-Renn told Andy Katz after the Kentucky win. "Then to try and do the one thing I didn't do as a player and win a national championship."
“To try and do the one thing that I didn’t do as a player… win a national championship”
— Andy Katz (@SidelinewithAK) November 11, 2026
Trey Kaufman-Renn has big plans this season after the Jayhawks win against Kentucky 89-69🔥#ncaa #ncaabasketball #marchmadness #kansasbasketball pic.twitter.com/39yLIGUiiU
Kaufman-Renn got close back in 2024 when Purdue took on UConn in the National Championship game, but ended up falling to the Huskies 75-60, a game UConn dominated in the second half.
Now with the Jayhawks, Kaufman-Renn is ready to bring a title back to Lawrence for the first time since 2022, and with the way he and this team are playing, that looks like a real possibility.
It is hard to tell that Trey Kaufman-Renn joined the Jayhawks just a few weeks ago
It may not have been the fastest start for Kaufman-Renn when he joined the Jayhawks, but he has certainly knocked off the rust and been an asset for Self at Kansas. After coming off the bench in the Jayhawks' season opener, Kaufman-Renn has been a starter for the past two games and has averaged 21.5 points per game. Granted, he wasn't needed late against Fordham and Middle Tennessee.
Kaufman-Renn only scored nine points in his debut with the Jayhawks, but secured five rebounds, two assists, and one block, coming out strong for Kansas. Games 2 and 3 for the former Purdue star were even better, scoring 17 points against Middle Tennessee and 12 points against Kentucky.
While it is known that Kaufman-Renn will be a monster on the boards with four rebounds against Middle Tennessee and six against Kentucky, it was his ability to create for his teammates against the Wildcats that was most impressive. Kaufman-Renn finished with six assists against Kentucky, showing that when the defense focuses on him, he can get the ball to a teammate who can score, too.
Kaufman-Renn showed his maturity and respect for Self when speaking with Katz, saying it didn't matter how much he played, or if he started or not, he was simply there to do whatever was needed for the team.
Self has a much deeper bench than he did a season ago, so he is able to have a larger rotation, which means Kaufman-Renn may not have to be on the court 30 minutes a game, allowing him to be fresh when Kansas needs him most.
It has been a good start to the season for Kaufman-Renn and the Jayhawks, and now it is just riding this momentum into each game because once conference play rolls around, that is when the real competition will begin.
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