GLENDALE, Arizona — Halfway by way of the primary half of Purdue’s eventual 63-50 win over NC State within the Ultimate 4 on Saturday, Wolfpack bigman DJ Burns Jr. gritted his enamel and braced for impression.
Though he’s 6-foot-9 and 275 kilos, Burns needed to search for each time Zach Edey — the 7-foot-4, 290-pound reigning Picket Award winner — touched the ball. As Edey scored on a skyhook, Burns shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
Burns, the star of an NC State crew that had received 9 in a row after a 2-7 stretch in its final 9 regular-season video games, knew it could be an extended night time.
Boilermakers coach Matt Painter has been the chief of Purdue’s redemption tour a yr after the crew suffered a loss to 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson within the first spherical of the NCAA event. However Edey is its star.
Whereas Edey (20 factors, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 turnovers) slowed down within the second half, the power NC State expended because it tried to corral him drained the Wolfpack, which began 1-for-10 from the sector after halftime.
Wolfpack ahead Mohamed Diarra, all 215 kilos of him, bounced off Edey a number of occasions. Burns leaned on him all through the sport and tried to keep away from fouls. Ben Middlebrooks, a 6-foot-10 middle, was NC State’s finest defender towards Edey, however halfway by way of the second half, Middlebrooks had his arms on his knees throughout a timeout as sweat poured from his forehead.
Benefiting from the Wolfpack’s fatigue, Purdue’s Lance Jones completed with 14 factors (4-for-9 on 3-pointers) and Fletcher Loyer added 11 factors (3-for-5 past the arc), as NC State realized it could not guard Edey and handle the 4 different gamers on the court docket on the identical time.
“I feel, clearly, he is our pillar, the man we work round in what we do,” Painter mentioned of Edey on Friday. “But it surely’s not one thing from an attention-seeking [standpoint] that I feel he likes. He is gotten extra snug answering questions and getting that type of consideration. On the finish of the day, he simply desires it to be a crew sport. He desires the eye to go to all people. He does an awesome job of facilitating that, being humble. That is refreshing. Who would not wish to play with an awesome participant but in addition an awesome participant that is unselfish and humble like he’s?”
Purdue, which is able to play in its first national-championship matchup since 1969, can now concentrate on Monday night time. The Boilermakers can have an opportunity to win the primary nationwide title at school historical past and full a full turnaround — maybe mimicking Virginia, which received a hoop in 2019 a yr after its first-round loss to 16-seed UMBC.
However Edey’s presence has carved the trail to this second.
Towards NC State, he had 14 factors within the first half and completed 6-for-9 from the sector. The large man’s effort dictated the tone of the sport. With each contact, NC State braced and infrequently despatched assist, which created extra room for Edey’s teammates. With seven minutes to play, the No. 2 crew in 3-point taking pictures in America had made 38 p.c of its photographs from past the arc.
However Purdue had its challenges. They’d eight turnovers within the first half alone — Braden Smith had 5 and Edey had three — and the sloppiness continued within the second half. Smith (3 factors, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 turnovers) threatened to make NCAA event historical past as the primary participant since 1984 to complete with no less than 10 assists, 10 rebounds and 0 factors, per ESPN Stats & Data analysis, till he hit a late 3-pointer.
Whereas the Boilermakers shot 3-pointers at a strong clip, the crew had made simply 40 p.c of its discipline objective makes an attempt with 5 minutes to play within the sport.
The one fixed — not simply Saturday, however all yr — has been Edey. He has now joined a singular group: he is the fifth participant to common no less than 25 factors per sport and 15 rebounds per sport by way of 5 NCAA event video games. That listing contains legends corresponding to Elvin Hayes and Elgin Baylor.
From the entrance row, one other legend watched as Edey led his crew to the ultimate sport of the season.
Shaquille O’Neal nodded his head when he was requested if favored Edey’s repertoire.
“He has a pleasant contact across the basket,” mentioned O’Neal, the Basketball Corridor of Fame middle and TV commentator who watched Edey’s effort from the entrance row on the State Farm Stadium. “He makes use of his physique nicely. He is taking part in very nicely and he is staying out of foul bother.”