WATCH: Zach Edey booed by UConn fans as Purdue star arrives on the court for intense pregame warmups
Zach Edey is set to lead the Purdue Boilermakers into their first appearance in a national title game since 1969 when they face the UConn Huskies on Monday night. He will look to lead the Boilermakers to their second national title in program history and first in the NCAA Tournament era, which began in 1939.
The two-time national college Player of the Year was met with loud boos by Huskies fans as he took the court for his pregame warmups more than an hour before tip-off.
Check out footage of UConn Huskies fans booing Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey below:
It is no surprise that Edey was met with loud boos as he has been a pivotal part of the Boilermakers success throughout the season. After being named national college Player of the Year as a junior, the former three-star prospect in the 2020 recruiting class has had the best season of his career as a senior.
Edey has averaged 24.9 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.3 steals and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting 62.5% from the field and 71.1% from the free-throw line. His production has improved over five NCAA Tournament games as he is averaging 28.0 ppg, 15.4 rpg, 2.2 apg, 0.6 spg and 1.8 bpg while shooting 65.4% from the field and 67.9% from the free-throw line.
While he has been dominant to this point, the Huskies will represent his toughest challenge of March Madness. UConn enters the matchup ranked 10th in scoring defense and 14th in defensive rating and have a big man with the size to match Edey in Donovan Clingan.
Colin Cowherd believes Zach Edey deserves NBA minutes
Despite his successful collegiate career, there has been plenty of debate regarding Zach Edey's fit in the modern NBA. Speaking on his self-titled podcast, Colin Cowherd made the case that the Purdue Boilermakers star deserves NBA minutes, stating:
"After about an eight-year run of small ball when only the Warriors truly mastered it - Houston tried, a lot of people tried - now the league's pivoting back to size. The big guys are dominating and I'm watching Zach Edey and I'm thinking, isn't he worth 13 to 14 minutes a night somewhere? I know. People tell me it doesn't work. I'm not asking him to defend the wing."
Check out Colin Cowherd's comments on Zach Edey below:
Edey has averaged 18.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.2 steals and 1.7 blocks while shooting 62.1% from the field and 70.6% from the free-throw line in just 24.8 minutes per game over his four-year career. It is unclear where he will land in the 2024 NBA Draft, provided that he does decide to turn professional.