Indiana currently holds two commitments in the 2021 class with point guard Khrstian Lander and center Logan Duncomb.
While Aminu Mohammed fits exactly what Indiana needs on the wing, Archie Miller is still aggressively pursuing frontcourt players who will fill in for the loss of Joey Brunk, Justin Smith and potentially Trayce Jackson-Davis.
In addition to Duncomb, Trey Kaufman is someone that would fill that role perfectly and would address many needs for Indiana in 2021.
Kaufman is not only one of the best players in the Indiana 2021 state rankings, but he is also one of the most talented players in Indiana in any class. The Silver Creek product won the Gatorade Player of the Year award as a junior, only one of a handful underclassmen to do so in the state. He averaged 25.8 points and 9.6 rebounds as a junior.
Each year Kaufman has progressed in many facets of his game and now is one of the more well-rounded big men in the 2021 class.
At 6-foot-8, Kaufman is a highly skilled player who has a lot of versatility to his game. Playing a non-traditional power forward position, being able to stretch the defense out to the perimeter and take opponents off of the dribble is what is so intriguing about his game.
In today’s game, Kaufman is your ideal pick and pop forward. He has a smooth and consistent shot from deep and although sometimes too dependent on his shot, it is a major asset to any team to have a 6-foot-8 threat from three. Despite not taking an excess of perimeter shots, he has shot it at a 39 percent clip over the past two seasons.
Because of his ability to shoot, defenses need to play up on him. This is a situation in which Kaufman excels in. With his ability to beat opponents off of the dribble and use just one or two dribbles to get to the basket, he becomes a very difficult player to guard.
While he hasn’t been someone to embrace contact throughout his career, he continues to utilize his build and patience when in the post. Despite not being an explosive athlete, he is still very fluid and has the ability to finish above the rim.
Kaufman will not be a shot blocker at the college level. He does lack major explosiveness needed, but his length and versatility fits in perfectly as a team defender, as noted by his 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals as a junior.
On top of that, his ability to rebound the ball at a high level is extremely useful with the ability to lead the fast break if need be.
Overall, Kaufman will come in and produce at a high level immediately. He still needs to develop a bit more of a post game, but his versatile skillset that allows him to play on the wing, while still at 6-foot-8 is ideal at the college level.
Kaufman is ranked the No. 97 prospect in the 2021 class.
----
• Talk about it inside The Hoops Forum or The Football Forum
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Follow us on Twitter: @IndianaRivals
• Like us on Facebook.
