UNC Basketball: 4-star PF Trey Kaufman hopes to make recruiting visits

4-star power forward Trey Kaufman hopes to make campus visits despite current recruiting freeze. Along with the UNC basketball program, he’s got offers from Indiana, Louisville, Purdue and Virginia, among others.

Trey Kaufman has gotten used to the current state of college basketball recruiting, what with the NCAA’s indefinite freeze on campus visits and in-home meetings with coaches. He has no intent of speeding up his recruitment, though, or rushing to make a college decision before thoroughly vetting the schools on his list.

"“For me personally, corona (the COVID-19 pandemic) is definitely not going to speed up my timeline,” Kaufman told 98.5 WJHI on Wednesday. “Since they (the NCAA) pushed it back and I can’t take as many visits as I would want to, my mom and I are considering driving up to some of the colleges that are recruiting me, but it’s just not going to be the same.”"

A 6-foot-8, 210-pound power forward, and a rising senior at Silver Creek High School, Kaufman is holding offers from Indiana, Louisville, North Carolina, Purdue, Virginia and Xavier, among others. He’s got around a dozen offers at the moment, but that number will continue to grow as his recruitment carries on.

The 2020 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year, Kaufman averaged 25.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals to help lead Silver Creek to a 25-2 record prior to the season’s abrupt and premature ending. He shot 64 percent from the floor, and 40 percent from beyond the arc.

Kaufman is at his best when he’s got a head of steam on his way to the basket. He’s comfortable in the painted area, and doesn’t shy away from contact. He’s good at using creativity to get his shot up in traffic, and will finish with a big dunk any opportunity that he gets. He’s never going to be the fastest guy on the court, or the one with the best ball-handling skills, but he’s got good size and a knack for getting his hands on loose balls. He’s a great rebounder, and uses his length to affect opponents’ shots on the defensive end of the court. He’ll also spot up from beyond the arc from time to time, and knocks down a high percentage of his long-range shots.

Kaufman is currently ranked No. 55 in the 2021 class according to the 247Sports Composite. He’s 16th among players at his position, and second in the state of Indiana. He’s ranked even higher according to the Top247, which places him at 31st overall, and seventh among power forwards. Rivals values him similarly, ranking him 39th in the nation.

Corey Evans, Dan McDonald and Zach Berry, three of Rivals’ top recruiting analysts, have all pegged Indiana as his eventual landing spot. Evans noted in a recent piece, however, that the Tar Heels’ recent efforts with Kaufman may have moved them into the forefront of his recruitment.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the Trey Kaufman recruitment, and everything UNC basketball.