News update
The Associated Press national player of the week in men’s college basketball for Week 2 of the season:
News update Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue
The senior forward had 19 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in his season debut, an 87-80 victory at then-No. 8 Alabama that catapulted the Boilermakers back to No. 1 in the AP Top 25. The senior from Sellersburg, Indiana, was just the third player in at least the last 30 years with at least 15 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a top-10 matchup. Kaufman-Renn followed up with 17 points and 15 rebounds in a 97-79 victory over Akron on Sunday.
Kaufman-Renn missed the first two games of the season because of a hip pointer and a sore back. It didn’t hurt Purdue in a blowout of Evansville, but the 6-foot-9 forward was sorely missed when the Boilermakers escaped with an 87-77 win over Oakland.
News update Runner-up
Brycen Blaine, Charleston Southern. The junior guard had a triple-double in a win over The Citadelhitting eight 3-pointers and scoring 42 points with 11 rebounds and 11 assists. He also had 22 points against Alabama A&M and 22 more against Lindenwood.
Blaine, originally from Richmond, Virginia, is in his first season with the Buccaneers. He began his career at James Madison, where he missed an entire season due to injury, and played last season at Gulf Coast State, a junior college in Panama City, Florida.
News update Honorable mention
Mikel Brown Jr., No. 6 Louisville; Cameron Boozer, No. 5 Duke; Darrion Williams, No. 25 N.C. State.
News update Keep an eye on
David Mirkovic, No. 8 Illinois. The forward from Montenegro had 27 points and a freshman school-record 21 rebounds in an 84-65 win over Colgate, becoming the first Illini player with a 20-20 game since Nick Weatherspoon in 1972. Three days earlier, Mirkovic had 11 points and four rebounds as the Illini beat then-No. 11 Texas Tech81-77.
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