So, who's stopping Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers? The answer to that is certainly not the NC State Wolfpack, as they lost to Purdue basketball in the Final Four Saturday night in Glendale to the tune of a 63-50 score.
Unsurprisingly, Edey led the way for the Boilermakers in the NC State game, as the hulking Purdue center put up yet another double-double, finishing with 20 points and 12 rebounds while shooting an efficient 9/14 from the field and adding four assists plus two blocks.
Purdue basketball did not shoot well as a team versus NC State, going just 40 percent on their attempts, but Edey looked unbothered by the Wolfpack's defense for most of the contest. He was the only Boilermaker who shot 50 percent or better from the floor. Fletcher Loyer and Lance Jones chipped in 11 and 14 points, respectively, to provide ample scoring support behind Edey, while Mason Gillis had all of Purdue basketball's eight bench points.
Zach Edey adds to resume with another NCAA Tournament feat
With another double-double in the bag, Edey just made Big Ten history in the NCAA Tournament, as he became just the first player ever from the conference to have at least five double-doubles in a single trip to the Big Dance, as noted by Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.
“More Zach Edey history: He's the first player in Big Ten history with 5 double-doubles in a single NCAA Tournament.”
Edey has been flexing his muscles all throughout the 2024 edition of March Madness. In the first round, Edey helped Purdue basketball ensure that there wouldn't be a repeat of the first-round disaster the Boilermakers suffered in 2023, as he nearly singlehandedly demolished the No. 16 Grambling Tigers, racking up 30 points and grabbing 21 boards in a 78-50 victory.
In the second round, a stronger opponent was still no match for Edey, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds in a 106-67 victory over the No. 8 Utah State Aggies. Against the No. 5 Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Sweet 16 round, Edey amassed 27 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead Purdue to an 80-68 win.
Edey's best game in the tournament so far came in the Elite Eight round when he torched the No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers in a 72-66 triumph for 40 points to go along with 16 boards.
Edey has simply been incredible in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, playing like a man on a mission to help Purdue exorcise fully the ghost of 2023 when they fell in the first round at the hands of No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights.
Through five rounds, Edey has averaged mammoth numbers of 28.0 points and 15.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 65.4 percent from the field. His efficiency with the ball and utterly imposing figure remain unsolved by rivals in the NCAA Tournament, and now, he and Purdue basketball are just a win away from taking home a national title.
Purdue basketball headed to the National Championship Game
The job is not done for Edey and the Boilermakers. The toughest game is yet to come for Purdue, which is looking to duplicate the feat done by the Virginia Cavaliers in 2019 when Tony Bennett's squad went from being a first-round casualty as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2018 to winning it all as a No. 1 seed as well the following year.
Purdue will face in the national title game the winner of the other Final Four matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the UConn Huskies.
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