Purdue’s Zach Edey Selected as Wooden Award Winner for the Second Time

Purdue's Zach Edey named finalist for prestigious Wooden Award

Purdue's Zach Edey named finalist for prestigious Wooden Award | Image: WANE 15 News

Continuing his string of national accolades, standout center Zach Edey from Purdue was named the recipient of the prestigious John R. Wooden Award, recognizing him as the top player in men’s college basketball.

Joining a select group, Edey became the second player to claim the Wooden Award twice, following in the footsteps of Ralph Sampson, the center from Virginia who achieved this feat in 1982 and 1983.

Hailing from Toronto, Canada, the seasoned player had already secured successive titles with the Nasmith and Associated Press awards for men’s player of the year.

Standing tall at 7 feet 4 inches, Edey showcased his dominance on the court this season, leading the Boilermakers in scoring with an average of 25.2 points, rebounding at 12.2, shot-blocking with 2.2 blocks, and an impressive field goal accuracy of 62.3%.

Despite their efforts, they eventually faced defeat in the national championship game against UConn with a scoreline of 75-60, where Edey contributed significantly with 37 points for Purdue and secured 10 rebounds out of their total of 28.

The voting period lasted from March 18 to 25, wrapping up just after the initial week of the NCAA Tournament, during which Edey boasted averages of 29.5 points and 14.5 rebounds across six games.

Among the other notable contenders for the Wooden Award were RJ Davis from North Carolina, Dalton Knecht representing Tennessee, Tristen Newton of UConn, and Jamal Shead from Houston.

Zach Edey and the women’s basketball standout Caitlin Clark from Iowa will both be presented with their well-deserved trophies during an event in Los Angeles scheduled for Friday.

Since its inception in 1977, the Wooden Award has been a prestigious annual recognition within the basketball community.

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    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

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    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.

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    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.

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    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

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    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.

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