Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter did not hold back when asked after his team’s 106-67 win over the Utah State Aggies on Sunday about his thoughts on media people who diminish the quality of Zach Edey as a player. For Painter, those who think that Edey is a productive player ONLY because the big man stands 7-4 should not be allowed to cover basketball.
“Yeah, they just shouldn’t cover basketball Yeah, you know, and so like you go to school and you learn things or whatever but we all don’t like every single class we’re in, right? It’s kind of a necessary evil. It’s like going to work like you don’t like everybody you work with or you don’t like certain parts of your job and you know it’s tough right? You got to be able to deal with like certain things that are difficult and so I just think everybody should like take tests on their knowledge of what they’re doing. Like I think all coaches should take a test so they understand refereeing and I think all referees should take a test so they understand coaching and I think all journalists should have to take a basketball quiz or a test or anybody that tweets they should have to be able to do it and they say something so moronic is that then they should have to have a probationary status where they can’t tweet for like three months I think it’ll help like like society you know like just try to knock out the fools you know so they don’t have to you know meet at the local Walmart and say things that don’t make any sense.”
Zach Edey Powering A Seemingly Unstoppable Purdue Boilermakers In The 2024 NCAA Tournament
Regardless of what anyone thinks of Edey, it can’t be denied that the 2023 National College Player of the Year award winner has been sensational in the tournament, thus far. Against Utah State, Edey went off for 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds while dishing out three assists and coming way with two steals and three blocks in 27 minutes.
Edey is more than just about size. There are countless other big men in the nation, but not many could hang with Edey on the court.
Edey entered the Utah State game averaging 24.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 62.0 percent from the floor.
The Boilermakers will continue to rely on Edey, as they prepare for a marquee Sweet 16 showdown on Friday against the No. 5 Gonzaga Bulldogs. Mark Few’s team will present a different challenge for Edey, who will be facing a Gonzaga side that held Kansas Jayhawks star big man Hunter Dickinson to just 15 points on 6/15 shooting in the second round. In any case, the Boilermakers expect Edey to come up with another huge performance.
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