Big Ten Basketball: 5 early breakout candidates to watch for 2023-24 season

Trey Kaufman-Renn, F, Purdue

There may not be a more important NBA Draft decision in the Big Ten than the one of Purdue’s Zach Edey. The reigning National Player of the Year is officially testing the Draft waters, but it feels almost 50/50 to whether or not he will return for another year.

If he does move on, it opens up minutes and opportunities for the Purdue frontcourt. Veteran Mason Gillis and soon-to-be junior Caleb Furst will undoubtedly play a major role, but the opportunity is also there for a breakout campaign from youngster Trey Kaufman-Renn. After redshirting in 2021-22, Kaufman-Renn was a role player this past winter in West Lafayette, playing just over 11 minutes per game. It was hard for him to make much of an impact, but I was always struck by Kaufman-Renn’s athleticism. At 6’9″, 225 pounds, he’s rarely the biggest player on the court, but makes up for it with his energy and high motor.

This is another player that has a long way to go to reach his full potential, but there may not be a better program for him than Purdue. This is a school that develops bigs about as well as anybody in the nation and Kaufman-Renn should benefit from the competition he faces each day in practice. If Edey does indeed leave, keep an eye on this guy as the next star Boilermaker big.

With so much star power leaving the Big Ten, the league will be hard-pressed to their end their two-decade-long National Title dry sell. However, there are still plenty of intriguing players dotting rosters throughout the conference, which should set up for an exciting campaign once again in 2023-24. These five players, in particular, seem to be the most capable of a special breakthrough and should provide plenty of reason to tune in every night.