Senior big man has Purdue two wins away from first Final Four since 1980.
Before dominating college basketball at Purdue and playing high school basketball at
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.),
Zach Edey was reluctant to even step on the hardwood while a sophomore at Leaside High School in Toronto, Canada. At the time he stood around 6-foot-10 but was focused on hockey and baseball.
Edey could throw 75 miles per hour as a closer at the age of 14. On the ice he was a towering defenseman being coached in Canada's elite youth hockey system by former NHL player Allan Rourke, who played for the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers.
It was Rourke who recommended that Edey switch sports. Edey joined the Northern Kings club basketball team coached by Vidal Massiah during his sophomore year of high school in 2017-18.
Zach Edey was the third-highest rated center at IMG Academy as a senior behind Mark Williams and Brandon Huntley-Hartfield. (Photo: David Rosenblum)
Despite never playing hoops, Massiah saw Edey's potential and wanted to get him to the United States. Massiah had played college basketball at St. Bonaventure where one of his assistant coaches was Brian Nash, now the Director of Basketball at IMG Academy.
That link helped send Edey to Florida for the 2018-19 season. That year's IMG squad was led by Armando Bacot, Josh Green and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Edey played on the program's second team,
IMG Academy Blue, as a junior and one of his teammates was Eric Dailey Jr., who plays at Oklahoma State.
As a senior Edey was on the main squad.
The minutes were scarce for the three-star big man. He was rated as the No. 76 center in the nation by
247Sports. Senior teammates Mark Williams and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield were rated ahead of him at the center position. Williams now plays for the Charlotte Hornets while Huntley-Hatfield just finished his junior season at Louisville.
Zach Edey is averaging 24.5 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots this season at Purdue while shooting 62.5 percent from the field. (Photo: David Rosenblum)
Including Edey, nine players from that team moved on to high major college basketball. Williams, Jarace Walker, Jalen Johnson, Jaden Springer and Moussa Diabate have all gone on to play in the NBA.
Edey will almost certainly be next. He is projected to be selected No. 14 overall in the latest mock draft from ESPN.
At IMG Academy, Edey's squad faced teams that included 12 future NBA players like Cade Cunningham, Jonathan Kuminga and Scottie Barnes.
When Edey did get on the floor he was very efficient, shooting 70 percent from the field with 78 rebounds and 28 blocked shots.
With minimal playing time Edey finished his career rated No. 436 in the Class of 2020 by 247Sports. He selected Purdue over offers from Baylor and Western Kentucky.
His impact with the Boilermakers was felt immediately as a freshman. In his first game he had 19 points. The next day he had 17 against Clemson. He averaged around 20 minutes a game as Purdue made an NCAA Tournament appearance, falling in the first round.
As a sophomore Edey and Jaden Ivey took Purdue to the Sweet 16. In three NCAA Tournament games that year he averaged 10.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per contest.
He became a force of nature as a junior. The first-team All-American swept all of the national player of the year awards including the Naismith and the John Wooden as he averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 boards and 2.1 blocks per contest.
Early in the season he held eventual lottery pick Derrick Lively II scoreless in a 19-point win against Duke. At the end of the Big Ten season Edey had 17 points and 19 rebounds as the Purdue got a 63-61 win on the road against Trayce Jackson-Davis and Wisconsin.
After losing in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Edey returned to school for his senior year. His scoring numbers have improved and the Boilermakers cruised to the Sweet 16 after defeating Grambling State 78-50 and Utah State 106-67.
"To watch Zach grow into the dominant force on the college level has been nothing short of awesome," IMG Academy head coach Sean McAloon said. "We saw glimpses in practice and in games here, but Purdue has unlocked the player he is now. We are proud to have played a small part here at IMG and look forward to what the future holds for the big man."
Purdue's quest for its first Final Four appearance since 1980 continues tonight against Gonzaga in the Sweet 16.
