GLENDALE, Ariz. — During Purdue's win over N.C. State in the Final Four at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, there was one player who caught the attention of the nation: Purdue center Zach Edey.
Edey scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as he led Purdue to a 63-50 victory and the program's second national championship appearance ever. The last came in 1969 when Purdue lost to UCLA. That was the Bruins' third of seven straight national titles. The Boilermakers will play either UConn or Alabama on Monday night. Their game is currently underway.
Edey's double-double was the 29th of his season, which is a Big Ten Conference record.
Edey has been making his name known across the nation over the past two seasons as he has led the Boilermakers to two straight NCAA Tournaments and now, to the Final Four and earned many awards along the way.
Everything you need to know about Purdue's No. 15, Zach Edey
Edey is Purdue's leader and the Boilermakers' best player. Edey is also the first player to win the AP's Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons since Virginia's Ralph Sampson won the award three times in a row from 1981-83.
Edey led the nation in scoring (25 points per game), total points (926), field goals made (312), free throw attempts (424), free throws made (301) and offensive rebounds per game (4.7) this season.
He was second in the nation in rebounds (452), second in rebounds per game (12.9), second in double-doubles (28), ninth in blocks (80) and 11th in field goal percentage (62.4%).
The 21-year-old center also won all six national Player of the Year awards last season (The Wooden Award, Naismith Award, Big O Trophy, NABC National Player of the Year and the Sporting News National Player of the Year).
During the 2022-23 season, Edey became the first player in NCAA history with 750 points, 400 rebounds, 70 blocks and 50 assists in a season, according to PurdueSports.com.
What nationality is Zach Edey?
Edey is Canadian, and is even nicknamed "The Big Maple."
His mother, Julia, was born in Toronto to Taiwanese immigrants. Edey was also born in Toronto but came to the U.S. in high school to play basketball at IMG Academy in Florida.
How tall is Zach Edey?
Edey is 7-foot-4 and is one of the tallest players in college basketball. Mississippi's Jamarion Sharp and Missouri's Connor Vanover are the only players who are taller, as they are both 7-foot-5. Edey weighs 300 lbs.
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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