"Still not picking Purdue to win": College GameDay host Rece Davis cautious about Zach Edey's Boilermakers ahead of Sweet 16
During a recent edition of the Pat McAfee show, the cast discussed the possibilities for the Big Ten school to win it all this year. Although Zach Edey's Purdue Boilermakers are still dancing, Rece Davis doesn't believe they will make it.
"I'm still not picking Purdue to win it all but I think they've proven a lot with the dominance they've shown... There's a lot of emotional baggage that comes with this tournament and they've shed some of it," the host of ESPN's College GameDay said.
Purdue will face the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Sweet 16 round after defeating Grambling State and Utah State in the first and second rounds respectively. The Boilermakers were for most of the regular season one of the favorites to claim the national title in the NCAA tournament.
However, during the Big Ten tournament, they unexpectedly fell to the Wisconsin Badgers 76-75 during the semifinal round.
NBA scout doesn't believe that Zach Edey is first-round material
There's also been much discussion regarding where Purdue's star Zach Edey could end up after the 2024 NBA Draft. While some, especially Boilermakers fans, expect him to become a first-round draft pick, the reality is that several NBA organizations don't share their assessment of him.
Recently, an NBA scout commented through HoopsHype by Michael Scotto that he doesn't believe Edey is first-round material:
“People are talking about Edey going in the first round and I’m asking myself if we’re really talking about a situational big man in the first round? Is he going to be a starter? No. Is he going to be a backup every night? Probably not. He’s Boban Marjanovic in my opinion.”
When is the next game of the Purdue Boilermakers?
The Boilermakers will clash with the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Friday at 7:40 p.m. ET for the round of the Sweet 16. Gonzaga is coming off an 89-68 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks, another favorite for the national title.
They secured their ninth straight appearance in the round of the Sweet 16.