Purdue suffered a defeat in the national championship game against UConn, yet it wasn’t due to the absence of standout center Zach Edey. Edey displayed dominance throughout the game, although not everyone perceived it as such.
Draymond Green, among the spectators tuning into the NCAA Championship clash between the Connecticut Huskies and the Purdue Boilermakers, expressed strong criticism toward Edey following UConn’s 75-60 victory on Monday.
Watching the game closely, the Golden State Warriors superstar believed Samson Johnson’s defense not only locked up Zach Edey, but he made him quit on his team.
“Job Well Done 35! You did your job tonight. It was him that made Edey quit with about 19 mins to go in the 2nd half. There was a turnover and I saw Edey body language walking back. He was done. Now rewatch the game from that point on. #FreeGame,” Green wrote.
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Such criticism seems rather severe considering he contributed more than half of his team’s total points for the evening. Zach Edey, the standout center for the Purdue Boilermakers and recipient of consecutive Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year awards, tallied 37 points while shooting 15 of 25 from the field. Additionally, he secured 10 rebounds and made 2 blocks, as reported by ESPN.com.
During the national championship game, coach Dan Hurley evidently devised a strategy to contain Purdue’s shooters while accepting whatever scoring opportunities Edey managed against Clingan. However, as the game progressed, UConn’s defense began to stifle Edey, resulting in a ten-minute scoring drought as UConn gained momentum. This might be the point at which Draymond Green perceives Edey as disengaging from the game.
Ultimately, Zach Edey’s dream conclusion to his collegiate basketball journey was not realized, as the UConn Huskies triumphed over the Purdue Boilermakers in the National Championship game on Monday night. With his college career concluded, Edey must now transition to the NBA.
According to CBS Sports’ mock draft, the towering center is projected to be a first-round pick, anticipated to be chosen at No. 22 by the New Orleans Pelicans.
