Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) leaves the court as the seconds count down in an NCAA Tournament game against the Arizona Wildcats at SAP Center.
Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) leaves the court as the seconds count down in an NCAA Tournament game against the Arizona Wildcats at SAP Center.
Eligibility across NCAA sports remains a mess. In college football, players have tried to return after dipping their toes in NFL waters. In college basketball, members of the 2022 class are fighting for a fifth year of eligibility, and the Minnesota Gophers’ Cade Tyson is among them.
If that isn’t crazy enough, the Minnesota Timberwolves have now been dragged into it. The NBA Draft wasn’t going to be a highlight for them this offseason given their draft capital, but they did select Trey Kaufman-Renn in the second round (59th overall).
Instead of fighting for a roster spot he’d never really have a chance at winning at the NBA or grinding it out in the G League, Kaufman-Renn decided to pursue a fifth year of college eligibility, and won.
Kansas signs MN Timberwolves draft pick Trey Kaufman-Renn
The former Purdue star filed a lawsuit in late August seeking a sixth year of eligibility. He played only four seasons with the Boilermakers after missing his first year with a knee injury.
On Oct. 9, a Clark County, Indiana judge granted Kaufman-Renn an injunction. On Tuesday, he signed with the Kansas Jayhawks. In a statement, Jayhawks head coach Bill Self said Kaufman-Renn is now enrolled in classes and practicing with the team.
Welcome to the fam, TKR 🤝
Trey Kaufman-Renn | Sellersburg, IN
🔗 → https://t.co/U7KxSOPXer pic.twitter.com/oOoNJC0wID
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) October 19, 2026
Trey Kaufman-Renn, who had a tremendous career at Purdue, has enrolled in classes, and is practicing with us as of Sunday. He reached the national championship game, the Elite 8 and the Sweet 16 at Purdue and has been extremely well-drilled and well-coached. Even though it’s late in the process, because of his basketball IQ, we think his transition will be quicker than most put in the same circumstance.
Bill Self
Kaufman-Renn’s case is different from the 2022 class fighting for a fifth year. He only competed in four seasons because the knee injury wiped out his freshman year, and that was enough to convince the court he deserved another season.
His injunction also came from an Indiana state court and covers only him. Tyson and the Gophers, meanwhile, are stuck waiting on a federal class-action case that the Tenth Circuit put on hold.
What’s next for Kaufman-Renn and the Timberwolves?
Of course, neither Self nor the Kansas press release mentioned that Kaufman-Renn was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves over the summer. Kansas also called him a fifth-year player, though it will be his sixth year in college.
It’s easy to see why the Jayhawks wanted the Wolves draft pick. As a fifth-year senior last season, he averaged 14.2 points per game for the Boilermakers while shooting an efficient 57.8% from the floor. If Kansas gets the junior version of him, who averaged 20.1 points per game on 59.5% shooting, he’s an even bigger steal.
Kaufman-Renn is eligible for now, but the NCAA is expected to appeal his injunction. Since he never signed a pro contract, the Wolves keep his draft rights under the collective bargaining agreement while he plays at Kansas.