Center’s stage: Edey once again wins Wooden Award

Jeff Borzello, ESPN

• Personnel WriterApr 10, 2024, 06:51 PM ET Close Basketball recruiting insider.
• Joined ESPN in 2014.
• Graduate of University of Delaware.Purdue star Zach Edey was called the winner

  of the John R. Wooden Award on Wednesday, becoming the first repeat winner in more than 40 years.The award is given every year to the best college basketball player in the country.Edey is coming off of among the most dominant NCAA tournament runs in history, leading the Boilermakers

  to the national championship game before losing to UConn. The 7-foot-4 center had 37 points in the title game– the most points ever scored in a losing effort and the second-highest percentage of his group’s points in title game history.Editor’s Picks 2 Related He averaged 29.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in 6 NCAA competition games, shooting much better than 64% from the floor

  . Edey ended up being the

  first player considering that 1999 with six 20-point games in a single NCAA tournament, and his 177 overall points were connected for the second-most all-time. In the local last win over Tennessee, Edey ended up being the very first player with 40 points, 15 rebounds and 60%basket shooting in an NCAA tournament game because Houston’s Elvin Hayes in 1986. Edey, who had 30 double-doubles and scored in double-figures in all 39 games, went into the season as the heavy preferred to win the Wood Award. The last repeat winner was Virginia’s Ralph Sampson in 1982 and 1983. Purdue center Zach Edey, who had 30 double-doubles and scored in double-figures in all 39 games, ended up being the very first repeat winner of the Wood Award considering that Ralph Sampson in 1982 and 1983. Quinn Harris/Getty Images After balancing 22.3 points and 12.9 rebounds last season to run away with the award, Edey was much more dominant in the 2023-24 campaign. He led the country in scoring at 25.2 points per game, ranked 3rd in rebounding at 12.2

  per game and remained in the leading 25 in both basket portion (62.3%)and obstructed shots( 2.2 per game). Edey had 10 30-point games, the 40-point getaway against Tennessee and likewise had a 30-point, 20-rebound game against Penn State– the very first time a Big Ten player had 30 points, 20 rebounds and shot 80%from the field in the previous 25 seasons.He likewise became the very first Big 10 player in the past 25 seasons with multiple games of 30 points and 20 rebounds in his career.Edey is the second Purdue player to win the Wooden Award, which has been offered every year considering that 1977. Glenn “Big Dog “Robinson won in 1994 after averaging 30.3 points and 10.1 rebounds; a couple of months later on, he was the No. 1 pick in the 1994 NBA draft.