After Canadian Zach Edey and the No. 1 seed Purdue Boilermakers booked their spot in the NCAA March Madness Sweet 16 with a blowout win over No. 8 Utah State on Sunday, head coach Matt Painter made sure not to mince words when coming to the defence of his seven-foot-four star.
“Yeah, they just shouldn’t cover basketball,” Painter said with a laugh when asked post-game what he thinks of detractors of Edey’s game. “I think all coaches should take a test so they understand refereeing, and I think all referees should take a test so they understand coaching, and I think all journalists should have to take a basketball quiz or test.”
Through two tournament games, the 21-year-old has racked up 54 points and 35 rebounds while his team has won the contests by 28 and 39 points, respectively. The Toronto native put up 23 points and 14 rebounds against Utah State — numbers that likely would have been higher had he not been taken out about eight minutes into the second half of the one-sided game. Two nights earlier, he tallied the first 30-point, 20-rebound March Madness game since 1995, in Purdue’s first-round win against Grambling State.
“If they say something so moronic as that, they should have to have a probationary status where they can’t tweet for like three months,” Painter continued in his response to the notion that Edey is only effective due to his seven-foot-four frame.
Edey’s strong start also earned him a spot amongst elite company. He is the first player since Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to put up 50 points and 35 rebounds while shooting 65 per cent through the first two games.
Painter has coached Edey through all four of the Canadian’s college seasons and knows firsthand how much of an impact the senior can have on a squad, as the pair has led the Boilermakers to a 105-28 record during their partnership. Experiencing Edey’s growth up close is likely part of why the head coach was so adamant in his defence.
“Three years ago he was a good player for us, he caused problems, he did things, but it wasn’t where he is now,” Painter said. “He’s just continued to get better. Like we go into games and like our staff always looks at me and says, what do we need to do? I said, ‘Well, Zach needs to get 20 rebounds,’ and everybody always laughs at that. But you’re not asking somebody to do something he can’t do. He can do that.
“He’s great, he’s easy to coach, he’s obviously got some great physical skills, but he’s pretty intelligent.”
Edey and the Boilermakers will have another opportunity to dispel the doubters, and prove Painter right, when they face No. 5 Gonzaga and fellow Canadian Ryan Nembhard on Friday in Sweet 16 action in Detroit. The game will be a rematch from Nov. in the Maui Invitational where Purdue won.