When I found out that Purdue ranked 4th basketball As the team was walking down the street from me to face the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln, my first thought was, “I have to go and check on that big guy.”
My second thought was, “God, I wish Gene Keady was still the coach so I could see him Blow MYSELF!”
My third thought was, “His last name is pronounced the way people always pronounce mine – we must be related!”
That “big guy” has a name and it’s Zach Edey.
How tall is Zach Edey? Edey is listed as 7-4 and 290 lbs. He wears size 20 shoes.
Not only is he extremely tall, but he is also HUGE. Thick. You can’t push him around. No bean poles Shawn Bradley type.
I have always been infatuated with tallest basketball player in NBA history, as you can read here.
Zach Edey too Chuck Nevitt type? A big man, eats space, changes shots and sometimes blocks some, but doesn’t contribute offensively.
Is he a Manute Bol who expressed the foregoing ability to defend and lead the NBA in hits blocked multiple times, while occasionally launching some attack ability from behind the arc (before the big boys EVER did that)?
A massive Gheorghe Mursean, literally accumulating stats just by getting ahead of opposing defenders and attacking players?
Or is he a Rik Smits What kind of big guy 7-4 has strong attack skills? One element at both ends of the deck.
Meeting him in person made me realize he has the elements of all of the aforementioned players.
And is in the advanced stage of his basketball IQ at this point in his development.
Because this generation of basketball is more open-minded, running and shooting, with more emphasis on faster transitions, his athleticism is “below” compared to the big boys mentioned earlier.
Zach Edey was born on May 14, 2002. If he had been born 20 years earlier, a player of his height and size would be punished every time he drifted out of the free-throw line or otherwise. anywhere nearby when fouling. or defensive.
At 7 feet 4 inches (and still growing), he’s the tallest basketball player in Big Ten history.
The “biggest” thing I noticed about him was the impact he had on the defence.
On the defensive side of the floor, his presence alone changed shots and attack plans.
Every time a Nebraska player dribbles inside the three-point line, you can see them consciously thinking about their position on the floor relative to Zach Edey.
Not only is he long, but he’s also incredibly agile and athletic. That combined with his 7 foot 7 wingspan, he can cover a lot of ground quickly.
In the game I witnessed first-hand against Nebraska, he made seven saves, the highest of the season. And it’s not because he’s trying to block everything. He really did a great job playing in himself.
While I was watching, I kept thinking about how even though he’s an absolute beast on defense, you have to attack him like he’s 6-10.
Because if you don’t, it will make every other defender right away better. It forces opposing teams to accept three-pointers and long-range shots that they really don’t want and aren’t used to.
Nebraska had to foul for most of the first half to decide to consciously attack him near the perimeter.
The first to do that was the 6-9 inch center Derrick Walker.
One-on-one about 7 feet from the basket, Walker tries to flip a quick one hook shot that was quickly changed and led to a transitional basket for Purdue.
Edey’s presence makes their team’s defense at least 40% better. The only way you can see Purdue lose is he’s in trouble.
Based on observing him in this game, he doesn’t get caught up in trying to make “swat” shots. Or bypass the promise of counterfeits.
He really doesn’t even need to jump to block the hits. And if he doesn’t leave his feet, he won’t accumulate stupid fouls.
Frustratingly, I’m impressed by his ability to let the game go to him.
Faced with constant doubles and triples, his vision and ability to pass the ball in the half-court created endless open shot opportunities for teammates. As soon as he received the pass, he quickly made a pass that missed and forced the damaged defense to turn around.
His inside passes to the other big players on his team are also very adept. Purdue runs things when it comes to crime through him and you can see why.
I didn’t realize it at the time, but Edey’s 11 points against Nebraska is a low season and the first time in eight games he hasn’t scored 20 or more.
Big men aren’t traditionally great free throws either. Now in her youth season, Edey is gaining 74% from charity.
His career average is 68%, so you can’t use the “Hack A Shaq” method without NBA teams used compared to physically superior Shaquille O’Neal to disable him.
In 30 minutes per game, Edey averages 23 points per game, 13 rebounds and 1.8 tackles.
Zach Edey’s mother, Julia, was 1.6 meters tall and was between 5 and 9 when she was in ninth grade. Zach Edey’s father, 6 feet 2 inches tall.
By comparison, Gheorge Muresan, tallest player in NBA history, his father is 5’9″ tall and his mother is 5’7″. Chuck Nevitt’s father is 6-7 years old and his mother is 6 feet tall.
Manute Bol’s mother is 6-10 and his father is 6-8.
Rik Smits’ son is 7 feet tall. Muresan’s son is 7 feet tall.
So there’s no rhyme or reason as to how a person’s height is dictated by their parents. But it certainly doesn’t hurt to have tall people.
But what is unique about Edey is not only his height but also his diverse skill set. He impacts games on both ends of the floor.
Watching him play first-hand, it’s easy to see why you’re watching the future #1 pick in the NBA Draft.
