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West Lafayette, Indiana — January 29th. Selection Sunday is still 42 days away. But it doesn’t matter.
The Player of the Year race has ended for all intents and purposes.
The truth is, in a practical sense, it felt like we were getting closer to an agreement for several weeks. His 77-61 win for top-ranked Purdue against Michigan State on Sunday was decisive. This saw Purdue go from unranked to undefeated with a PK85.
Barring serious injury (and God forbid), the 7-foot-4-inch junior center from Toronto has beaten out every award to become just the third Boilermaker to win this year’s National Player of the Year. When Zach Eady, an unsolvable problem, deservedly receives the trophy in his March and he April, he will have to deal with the legendary pair of Purdue players who played 60 years apart. You will join Wooden and Glenn Robinson.
A window that could have been opened slightly by Gonzaga’s Drew Tim, Kansas’ Jaren Wilson and Indiana’s Trace Jackson-Davis was elbowed to the lip en route to Eady’s career-high 38 points and 13 rebounds. It was then closed at Elbow on Sunday. Spartan. The statistical gap between Edey and his second-placed Wilson in KenPom.com’s Player of the Year algorithm is laughably large.
“I couldn’t cover him,” MSU coach Tom Izzo said.
Eadie, who plays with Zen-like poise most days, was unusually demonstrative and emotional at several points in her crushing victory.
“When you start tasting your own blood, it gives you a little boost,” Eddie told CBS Sports about the elbow on his face.
Eddie’s 38-13 was 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Purdue he’s a player who has posted a line that matches this, he’s only one other: Robinson. He did it in his 1993 against little old Portland. Eddie was a Hall of Fame coach and Purdue did it on January 16 against a team he won by just one point. (Edey included him 32 and 13).
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“Probably the most disappointing defensive performance ever,” Izzo said. “If one player scores 70 points in two games, you can’t blame it on the player, it’s the manager’s fault.”
Sparty has something in Edy’s veins, but Izzo shouldn’t get too down on himself. Sunday was his best version yet of Michigan’s worst nightmare.
“At the end of the day, you can stop on this side of the equator and throw the ball into the air, and when this monster goes to retrieve it, it makes it a little easier,” Izzo said.
And he did it after waking up on the other side of the bed. Edey said he’s a night person, not a morning person. Sunday’s game was at 12:15 p.m., so he set his alarm for 8 a.m. and snoozed until he knew it was time. hurriedly left. 8:30. He was a little grumpy.
“You saw my emotions running. I had morning legs.”
So Edy got up early, got an early tip, then went out and gave the best performance of his career. I think Michigan State got lucky, but it wasn’t a hint of the evening. The pickup Edey sought was provided by a Purdue follower. Sunday’s game saw him reach 123.2 decibels, the “highest decibel level ever recorded at McKee Arena,” according to the school.
Edey averages 22.1 points and 13.0 rebounds, more points and boards per game than any other player in the country. He’s also hitting his 2.2 shots per game. 7-4 monster mastered.
“He’s not selfish,” said Boilermaker coach Matt Painter. “Perhaps the best statistic is zero turnovers.”
Edey was so casually dominant that he took the tension off the question of who was the best player in the sport. News of Eddie’s status in the college hoops isn’t exactly breaking, but the nature of how far ahead he stands compared to all his peers is strange. Debates of the best players are seldom non-debates. Looking back over the years, I’ve rarely seen anyone this far apart.
Sounds like Zion.
Even more surprisingly, Edy has yet to reach that point as a player. He is fleeing the scene while learning on the job. He hasn’t played organized basketball in six years.
“It’s something really special and something you shouldn’t take for granted,” said freshman teammate Fletcher Royer. “I feel sorry for the other teams.”
Sure, his game lacks finesse and ferocity and needs tweaking, but he’s efficient and unperturbed. There is no counterbalance your opponent can provide. There is no one like Edey. Throw in the fact that he’s top-ranked and the centerpiece of the 21-1 Purdue, this is a rap.Boilermakers (he’s 10 wins and 1 loss in league play) are the only ones ranked in the Big His Ten It’s a team, and after clearing two games…
… continue …
So you mean Northwestern is #2 here?
yes. Like I said: it’s rap.
No Big Ten team has gotten off to a better start since Ohio State started 24-0 in 2010-11. Through 22 games, Purdue cannot crack 70. A top team with top players. Simple like that. The Boilers (still almost certainly going to lose at least one more conference game and possibly on the move) are unmatched in this league this year. Edey’s status combined with Purdue’s dominance makes this an insurmountable gap for both his Edey in the NPOY race and his Purdue in the Big Ten chase.
Edie is setting the pace for a season of at least 775 points, 453 rebounds and 77 blocked shots. In Sports Reference’s database, he’s the only player to have completed these benchmarks in a single season. That’s him David Robinson in 1986-87. You know what Robinson did in ’87? The same thing Edey is trying to do two months after him.
The only unknown here is how good Purdue and Edey will be between now and the NCAA Tournament.
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