Zach Edey did all he could for the Purdue Boilermakers in Monday’s National Championship showdown against the UConn Huskies. The NBA-bound big man exploded for a game-high 37 points on 15-of-25 shooting, to go along with 10 rebounds and two blocks in 39 minutes of action.
Ultimately, it was all for nothing.
UConn Huskies Coach Dan Hurley Reveals Zach Edey Gameplan Vs. Purdue
For the most part, it seemed like UConn simply had no answer for Edey’s dominance. As it turns out, however, this was the plan all along.
Huskies head coach Dan Hurley said after the game that they intentionally let Edey loose on Monday night. After all, UConn wasn’t at all concerned about the 21-year-old’s ability to carry his team to victory all by his lonesome:
“We didn’t care if Zach [Edey] took 28 shots to get 35 points,” Hurley said. “The gameplan was, no Smith, no Loyer, no Gillis, no Jones. Keep them under 20 points as a group. They had no chance to win no matter how well Zach played.”
"We didn't care if Zach (Edey) took 25, 28 shots to get 30, 35 points. This whole gameplan was: no Smith, no Loyer, no Gillis, no Jones. Keep that collective group under 18, 20 points as a group, they had no chance to win no matter how well Zach played."
– Dan Hurley pic.twitter.com/nyZoMtBrJH
— UConn on SNY (@SNYUConn) April 9, 2024
Braden Smith and Lance Jones combined for 17 points between them. Both Fletcher Loyer and Mason Gillis, however, did not even get on the scoreboard in this one. Combined, the Purdue quartet shot 6-of-22 from the field on the evening.
There’s no denying that Edey is a force to be reckoned with, and it’s also true that Hurley and his team recognize this fact. However, UConn was fairly confident that Edey just wasn’t good enough to win this game for Purdue by himself.
In the end, Hurley’s risky tactic paid off in the form of the Huskies’ sixth national championship.
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