Credit to: purduesports.com
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. –Zach Edey was named one of four finalists for the Naismith Trophy, one of the top awards handed out in college basketball.
Edey is looking to become the first repeat winner of the Naismith Trophy since Virginia’s Ralph Sampson won it three times in 1981, 1982 and 1983.
Edey is joined by North Carolina’s R.J. Davis, Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht and Houston’s Jamal Shead as finalists.
Last week, Edey was named a first-team All-American by both the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) this afternoon, earning the senior center consensus first-team All-America accolades for the second straight season.
Edey has now been named a first-team All-America selection by the four organizations that make up the All-America teams: The Sporting News, The Associated Press, the NABC and the USBWA.
He is the first Purdue player to earn back-to-back consensus first-team honors since Rick Mount in 1969 and 1970. Edey, Mount and Terry Dischinger (1961, 1962) are the only two-time consensus first-team All-Americans in school history.
Earlier this month, he was named a repeat winner of The Sporting News’ National Player of the Year, the eighth player since 1943 to accomplish that.
Dating to last year, Edey has now won all seven major National Player of the Year accolades that have been handed out as he has a chance to become the first unanimous (winning all of them) back-to-back National Player of the Year honoree since Bill Walton in 1972 and 1973. The five remaining National Player of the Year awards come from the Associated Press, the Naismith Award, the Wooden Award, the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the United States Basketball Writers Association.
Edey has dominated all season long, currently averaging 24.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.2 assists per game in all games played, but increasing his numbers to 25.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.2 blocks per game in Big Ten play. On Monday, March 11, he set a Big Ten record with 12 Big Ten Player of the Week honors during his career.
Edey is the only player in NCAA history to record at least 800 points, 400 rebounds, 50 assists and 50 blocks in a season, and needs just three rebounds to become the fourth player in NCAA history with two seasons of at least 750 points and 425 rebounds (Elvin Hayes, Oscar Robertson, Rick Barry).
Edey has produced against the nation’s best teams, averaging a combined 40.2 points, rebounds and assists against high-major opposition, currently the first player in at least the last 15 years to average a combined 40 points, rebounds and assists against high-major opposition. Edey Leads the country in 30-10 games with seven (next closest is 3) and 20-10 games with 18 (next closest is 16).
Edey is off to a dominant start in the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first player in almost 50 years (Memphis’ Larry Kenon in 1975) to have at least 30 points, 20 rebounds, three blocks and two assists in a game, doing so against Grambling in the opening round.
He then became the first player since Lew Alcindor in 1968 to have at least 50 points and 35 rebounds and shoot at least 65.0 percent from the field in the first two rounds.
In the Big Ten Tournament semifinal game against Wisconsin, Edey became the school’s all-time scoring leader, now with 2,339 points, passing Rick Mount’s 54-year old record of 2,323 points. Edey is now the school’s all-time leader in points, rebounds and double-doubles.
Edey’s eight career 30-15 games are the most for a high-major player in the last 15 years (Marvin Bagley, Blake Griffin – 4) by three games. His 11 career games of at least 25 points and 15 rebounds are also the most nationally in that span (Blake Griffin – 9) and his 16 career 30-10 games are the second most for any player in the last 15 years (South Dakota State’s Mike Daum – 21).
Edey is the first player in Big Ten history with 2,200 career points and 1,200 career rebounds, and has joined David Robinson (Navy, 1984-87) as the only players in NCAA history with 2,200 career points, 1,200 career rebounds, 200 career blocks and to shoot over 60.0 percent from the field.
The Boilermakers take on Gonzaga in Friday’s Sweet 16 in Detroit, tipping off at 7:39 p.m. ET.