After Canada’s Zach Edey dropped a career-high 40 points on Sunday to lead the Purdue Boilermakers to their first Final Four in more than 40 years, there are probably a number of coaches regretting their decision not to seriously recruit the big man.
A three-star recruit coming out of high school, Edey said that “there were so many coaches” that looked over him.
“Name a program, I can name a coach that looked over me,” Edey said after the Boilermakers’ 72-66 Elite Eight win over the Tennessee Volunteers.
One of those coaches, according to Edey, was the man he just sent packing on Sunday.
“At Tennesse, Rick Barnes is a great coach, but he was in a bunch of our practices, looked over me,” Edey explained with a Final Four hat on his head and a freshly cut net around his neck. “It’s kind of been the story of my life, people have doubted me people looked past me. Can’t do that anymore.”
Edey’s 40-point, 16-rebound day was his fourth straight double-double in the tournament, and helped him repay Purdue head coach Matt Painter for showing faith in the seven-foot-four centre from Toronto.
With their trip to the Final Four booked, both Edey and Painter get a much-needed palate cleanser after they were victim to one of the most shocking upsets in NCAA history last year — a loss to No. 16 Farleigh Dickinson in the first round.
They will now look to become the second team to win an NCAA Championship after losing to a No. 16 seed.
And Edey, well, he’s confident about their chances.
“We’re (expletive) winners,” Edey told CBS Sports. “This what we do.”
Purdue will take on the winner of the Duke-North Carolina St. game in Glendale, Arizona on Saturday.
