After handily dispatching feisty No. 13 seed High Point in the first round of the 2025 March Madness tournament, Purdue wasted no time in asserting dominance over McNeese in the Round of 32, racing out to an 18-point lead in the first 20 minutes.
The Boilermakers surrendered just 20 points in the first half against the Cowboys, who averaged around 77 points per game throughout the season. They took their foot off the gas in the second half, but the damage was done, and Purdue waltzed to a decisive 14-point victory.
For the second straight game, Purdue was carried by star big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, who had a double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds in 38 minutes of action. Dating back to the start of the Big Ten tournament, Kaufman-Renn has five consecutive 20-point efforts, with seven-plus rebounds in each of those contests.
Matt Painter has high praise for Kaufman-Renn after dominant second-round win
Following the team's first-round win over High Point, head coach Matt Painter had gaudy praise for his star point guard, Braden Smith. Smith was solid against McNeese, contributing 10 points and five assists, though he did have eight turnovers. He'll need to clean up his ball security if Purdue wants to advance through the Sweet Sixteen.
However, it was Kaufman-Renn who was the main beneficiary of Painter's praise following the second round. The coach credited the junior forward with stepping up in the absence of Zach Edey, who is now in the NBA after leading the program to the Finals last year. Though this tournament has served as Kaufman-Renn's national breakout, Painter was sure to note that he's been performing this well "all year".
Caught up with @BoilerBall Head Coach Matt Painter after Purdue's 76-62 win over McNeese. The #Boilers are heading to the Sweet 16 for the 6th time in the last 8 NCAA Tournaments after dominating both games here in Providence. More on this one tonight at 6 and 11 on @WTHRcom pic.twitter.com/Dx7KoTKrRO
— Dominic Miranda (@DomMirandaTV) March 22, 2025
Kaufman-Renn became a full-time starter last season, starting next to Edey in Purdue's frontcourt. However, he was limited to just 17.0 minutes per game in a deep rotation, averaging 6.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
This season, he's up to 20.2 points per game and nearly 6.5 rebounds, all while supplying about 2 assists just for good measure. He's playing more than 30 minutes per game, which ranks third on the team, behind only Smith and guard Fletcher Loyer.
The team has now advanced to the Sweet Sixteen eight times in Painter's tenure. Purdue will draw the winner of Houston (No. 1 seed) and Gonzaga (No. 8 seed) in the next round in Indianapolis, which should feel like a home game for the West Lafayette natives.