"They just need to be better": Trey Kaufman-Renn calls out Illinois fans for alleged racism toward 13-year-old brother during Purdue loss

Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn had a simple message for Illinois security after Friday night’s game against the Illinois Fighting Illini: “Be better.” He said his family faced inappropriate comments while attending the game at State Farm Center in Champaign.

During the game, Kaufman-Renn’s 13-year-old brother was allegedly subjected to racially insensitive remarks from Illinois fans. The player also said his mother and girlfriend were targeted with inappropriate comments.

"I was informed after the game by my mom and my girlfriend that there was some racist comments being said toward my brother, as well as my family being cussed out," Kaufman-Renn said (per CBS Sports).

"I just hope the security, especially at Illinois, can be better. I told them after the game that that's something I would fight for. In no way am I saying anything about all Illinois fans, but unfortunately, the students that participated."

Illinois released a statement late Friday night confirming it had received a complaint from Purdue and would investigate the allegations to determine “appropriate action.”

"Late in tonight’s game, Illinois staff was made aware of allegations of inappropriate comments made by members of the Orange Krush toward Purdue players, coaches and fans. We received additional details after the game’s conclusion," the school's statement read.

We take such allegations seriously, and we will continue gathering information to determine appropriate action. In the meantime, we have been in touch with Purdue to apologize and express our disappointment."

Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 29 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but Purdue ultimately fell 88-80 to Illinois. The loss dropped the Boilermakers into a fourth-place tie with Wisconsin in the Big Ten at 13-7 in conference play and 21-10 overall. It marked their fifth loss in the last seven games.

With the win, the Illini improved to 20-11 (12-8 Big Ten), bolstering their NCAA Tournament profile. Both Purdue and Illinois are expected to make the tournament, though both teams aim to improve their seeding heading into March Madness.

Trey Kaufman-Renn reaches scoring milestone on Friday

With his 29-point performance against Illinois, Trey Kaufman-Renn reached the 1,000-point milestone for his career. The Purdue forward entered the game with 991 career points and hit the mark with a first-half floater in Champaign.

Kaufman-Renn became the third Purdue player this season to surpass 1,000 points, joining Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer. All three juniors have been key contributors for the Boilermakers this season.