March is arguably the best basketball month of the year, as the final push before the NBA Playoffs overlaps with March Madness. And although a large share of professional players don't come from the NCAA anymore, there are plenty of eyes on college ball this season. Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis has even watched a little.
The Latvia native grew up playing in Spain before heading to the NBA, but he was still asked for his take on some of college basketball's brightest stars. Following Boston's 118-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night, Porzingis discussed Purdue basketball star Zach Edey, per Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.
“I haven't watched much, that's the big guy, right? I saw him a little bit in the World Cup, he was there with Canada,” Porzingis recalled. “Big dude, big dude, in person. I'm a big human being, but he's even a little bit next level. He's a big boy.”
Porzingis is 7-foot-3 and he's used his height and length to dominate on both ends of the floor. Edey is a whopping 7-foot-4, which puts him at around the same size as the NBA's tallest active players: San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama and Houston Rockets center Boban Marjanovic.
On Sunday afternoon, Edey notched a career-high 40 points against the Tennessee Volunteers. His incredible performance helped Purdue nab a 72-66 victory and earn its first Final Four berth in over four decades.
Edey's innate size advantage could make him a possible selection in the 2024 NBA Draft. The reigning Naismith College Player of the Year is a strong rim protector who can take advantage of undersized defenders. He doesn't have much of an outside shot, yet at his height, it might not be a necessity for NBA scouts. At present, he may end up a late first-round or early second-round pick, meaning he could potentially fall to the Celtics.
While Kristaps Porzingis is nearly as tall as Edey, his game is quite different. Porzingis likes to hit fadeaway jumpers and even deep triples. Edey has made just one 3-pointer in his four-year college career. Against the Hornets, Porzingis recorded 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and one block in 30 minutes. His arrival in Boston has given the Celtics one of their best starting lineups in recent history, as they feature Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White alongside Porzingis.
Celtics enjoying March Madness
Zach Edey isn't the only college star on the Celtics' mind. During forward Sam Hauser's postgame interview, he mentioned Iowa Hawkeye Caitlin Clark—who's perhaps the biggest name in all of college basketball.
“Both [NCAA] tournaments have been exciting … Caitlin Clark has been exciting, let’s see if she can keep it rolling,” Hauser shared.
Like Edey, Clark is the reigning Naismith College Player of the Year and is preparing for the Final Four. Her Hawkeyes prevailed 94-87 over the LSU Tigers in a rematch of the 2023 NCAA championship game. After Boston beat Charlotte, the C's turned on the highly-anticipated showdown: “The entire Celtics locker room was locked in on the final minutes of LSU vs. Iowa after their win at Charlotte,” per Washburn.
Stars aside, some underdogs are receiving NBA attention as well. Big man DJ Burns Jr. recently led the NC State Wolfpack to the Final Four despite their status as an underwhelming 11th seed. The 6-foot-9 center propelled NC State to its first ACC championship since 1987 and has impressed college basketball fans and NBA players alike. For instance, 2023 NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic offered Burns high praise on Sunday.
“I think he's so skilled, especially lefty,” the Denver Nuggets star commented. “Seems like teammates like to play with him. That'd be a good guy.”
Those compliments eventually got back to Burns:
In a battle of big men, Edey will face Burns on Saturday when Purdue faces NC State with a trip to the National Championship game on the line.
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