Ranking top players in Purdue history: Is Zach Edey the best Boilermaker of all time?

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Purdue men’s basketball has had a long list of great players over the years. Joe Barry Carroll was the No. 1 pick in the 1980 NBA Draft and left Purdue as its all-time leading rebounder and second-leading scorer. Terry Dischinger was a three-time all-American and a first round pick of the Chicago Bulls. E’Twaun Moore was the Boilermakers’ third all-time leading scorer before embarking on a 10-year NBA career. Caleb Swanigan and JaJuan Johnson Big Ten players of the year before becoming first round NBA draft picks.

There has been some debate of late over which of Purdue’s all-time great players is its best ever. That debate seems to be getting quieter every week this March. Here is a look at the best to ever wear the Old Gold and Black.

1. Zach Edey (2020-24)

For anyone, what Edey has done in his four years at Purdue would be remarkable, but it is especially true for someone who didn’t start playing basketball until his sophomore year of high school. The 7-4, 300 lb. Edey was ranked 436th in the recruiting services coming out of IMG Academy. He will finish his Purdue career as its all-time leading scorer and rebounder and as a back-to-back National Player of the Year, the first since Virginia’s Ralph Sampson in 1982-83. If he is the consensus National Player of the Year, he will be the first to repeat that feat since UCLA’s Bill Walton in 1972-73.

Edey’s accomplishments get compared to some of the all-time greats in college basketball. He was the first player since Oscar Robertson (1960) to lead the nation in scoring and lead his team to the Final Four. He was the first player since Lew Alcindor (1968) to score 50 points, grab 35 rebounds and shoot 65% from the field in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Edey and David Robinson (1984-87) are the only players in NCAA history to get 2000 points, 1000 rebounds, 200 blocks and shoot over 60% for their careers. He is the first player since Larry Bird…

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Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/ranking-top-players-in-purdue-history-is-zach-edey-the-best-boilermaker-of-all-time/

Author : Jerry Palm

Publish date : 2024-04-06 18:10:20

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