Purdue star Zach Edey was a man among boys during the first half of the 2024 NCAA National Championship. The big man’s dominant play early was also a trending topic on social media.
Edey poured in 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks over the first 20 minutes of action at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. His first half included an epic spurt wherein he scored 11 straight points for Purdue.
EDEY CAN'T MISS 😳#MarchMadness @BoilerBall pic.twitter.com/CjfcLe5dhS
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 9, 2024
Zach Edey with a monstrous start to the national title game pic.twitter.com/Ntmv0CAykj
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 9, 2024
The big man impressed fans enough to draw several comparisons to LSU legend Shaquille O’Neal.
Zach Edey right now
— Overtime (@overtime) April 9, 2024
Zach Edey right now pic.twitter.com/mPnkGrHbPY
— Le5-6 (@deepyy_) April 9, 2024
Zach Edey right now pic.twitter.com/B0l369VdBG
— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) April 9, 2024
Edey’s outstanding first-half performance was hardly surprising. The Purdue center’s 24.9 points per game mark was the best in the country this season. He was also one of just three players to average at least 12 rebounds per game.
But Edey’s center adversary Donovan Clingan did bounce back later in the first half. The UConn 7-footer is one of the few big men in college basketball who could conceivably match up properly with Purdue’s 7’4″ behemoth. Clingan tallied 7 points, 2 rebounds, and a block.
Clingan’s defense and some timely shot-making from fellow UConn star Tristan Newton helped the Huskies claim a 36-30 lead at the half.
