One of the main reasons Purdue earned a No. 1 seed for the second straight season is that Zach Edey is back and leading the Boilermakers into March Madness once more. Purdue is aiming to reach the Final Four for the first time since 1980 and is hoping for a better result than it had the year before, when it was eliminated by a No. 16 seed. Edey will probably be a major factor in Purdue’s decision to go to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, if they take that action.
Big man, big lightning rod
Purdue’s tournament run was interrupted in Edey’s first three seasons by a No. 13 seed, a No. 15 seed, and a No. 16 seed. West Lafayette, Indiana, supporters may now relax knowing that Purdue won’t be matched with a No. 17 seed this time around according to the NCAA. The top-seeded Boilermakers will now play No. 8 Utah State in a second-round match on Sunday in Indianapolis, which is only an hour away from campus.
But if the 300-pound, 7-foot-4 wonder Edey performs even half as well as he did in the first round, his team will be unbeatable. The Canadian-born Edey delivered a stellar effort versus Grambling, despite the war scars on his shoulder from all the hacks, pull-downs, and horse collars that the defense refers to as “fouls.”
Either Zach Edey performed like a first-round choice in the upcoming NBA draft, or he didn’t do what everyone thought he would. It seems a little surreal. According to his article, he is exactly that, according to guard Kintavious Dozier of Grambling.
Who is Zach Edey?
Edey is a Toronto, Ontario, Canada-based senior center. Although he played baseball and hockey as a child, he didn’t take up basketball until his sophomore year in high school. He attended Bradenton, Florida’s IMG Academy for his senior year.