Zach Edey, No. 2 Purdue Set to Maintain Impressive Form When They Meet Minnesota

Minny at Purdue | Is Zach Edey the best Boiler of all time?

Minny at Purdue | Is Zach Edey the best Boiler of all time? | Image: The Field of 68 Podcast Network/YouTube

Zach Edey has showcased a diverse skill set in his college basketball career, even sinking a 3-pointer.

Standing tall at 7-foot-4, Purdue’s center recently scored his first-ever 3-pointer during Purdue’s dominating 79-59 victory over Indiana last Saturday, eliciting a thunderous ovation from the packed Mackey Arena.

Among his list of accomplishments, one achievement remains unchecked – a national championship. The Boilermakers (22-2, 11-2) will be steadfast in their pursuit of this goal when they clash against Minnesota (15-8, 6-6) in a crucial Big Ten clash in West Lafayette, Ind., on Thursday night.

Edey, a strong contender for a consecutive national Player of the Year title, delivered an impressive performance against the Hoosiers with 26 points and 13 rebounds. His unexpected 3-pointer even caught his teammate, point guard Braden Smith, off guard.

“He told me in the timeout before, or when we were out before, and he was like, ‘Hey, hit me on the pop.’ I kind of just giggled,” Smith said. “I was like, ‘Dude, we’re only up 20. What are you doing?’ And it worked.”

Purdue’s success continues to flourish, having secured eight consecutive wins, most of them with comfortable leads. Edey, averaging 23.3 points and 11.7 rebounds, boasts a strong 62.3% shooting percentage, steering the nation’s fifth-highest scoring offense with an average of 85.1 points per game.

Edey’s formidable presence demands double and triple-teams from adversaries, contributing to Purdue’s impressive 40% accuracy from beyond the arc, the fourth-best in Division I. Guards Lance Jones (12.8 ppg), Smith (12.7 ppg), and Fletcher Loyer (11.0 ppg) are all shooting at least 35.6% from the perimeter.

Purdue also shines in its squad depth, with Mason Gillis, a frequent starter, now coming off the bench. Gillis, who hit three 3-pointers on Saturday night, boasts a 48.5% accuracy from long range.

While Purdue aims to maintain its momentum, Minnesota is looking to bounce back following a disappointing 90-85 loss against Iowa after squandering a substantial lead. Despite having a 20-point advantage with 16:11 remaining, the Golden Gophers let the game slip away, outscored 25-8 in the closing minutes.

Minnesota’s fortunes took a downturn when leading scorer Dawson Garcia, averaging 17.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, exited due to a lower-body injury early in the second half. The team struggled, being outscored 45-23 after Garcia’s departure.

“He’s such a key part of just the confidence piece,” Gophers coach Ben Johnson said of Garcia. “The edge, even defensively. He’s our anchor, especially in a game like this. He kind of settles us. We were fighting the rest of the half to get that back.”

If Garcia is unable to compete, the burden will fall on players like the 6’9″, 255-pound Pharrel Payne to contain Edey. Contributors such as Cam Christie (11.3 ppg) and Mike Mitchell (10.3 ppg) will need to elevate their offensive output.

These teams will face off only once this season.

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

    Continue Reading
  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

    Continue Reading
  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

    Continue Reading