WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After setting numerous Purdue records, men's basketball's Zach Edey and volleyball's Eva Hudson were selected 2022-23 Purdue Male and Female Athletes of the Year.
Together, the pair led the Big Ten in scoring/points and propelled their respective teams to top-five national rankings over the course of their seasons, with men's basketball earning the No. 1 spot and volleyball climbing to No. 5.
In Hudson's first year on the collegiate scene, she became the first freshman in program history to receive an All-America Honorable Mention nod. The most decorated freshman in Purdue volleyball history was also named Midwest Region Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team after leading the entire league in kills (503) and points (570.5).
Hudson's status as the most accomplished freshman Purdue has ever seen is not confined West Lafayette – in fact, she is one of the most accomplished freshmen the Big Ten has produced, having earned more Big Ten Player of the Week awards than any newcomer before her, all in addition to her six Freshman of the Week accolades.
She is Purdue volleyball's first newcomer to make an All-Big Ten or honorable mention list since 2005.
Hudson is one of four Boilermakers to post at least 1,420 attacks in a single season and one of five Boilermakers to register 515 kills this century. Meanwhile, she is the only one to accomplish the feats during her first year.
The Fort Wayne, Indiana native produced at least 15 kills in 21 matches this season and recorded a hitting % of .300 or better 11 times, including six at a hitting clip of .400% and above. She averaged 4.78 points per set, 4.22 kills per set and 2.04 digs per set while tallying seven double-doubles over the campaign. Nationally, Hudson ranked eighth in total attacks (1,420), 14th in total points (583) and 16th in total kills (515).
Hudson joins the ranks of fellow volleyball players Grace Cleveland (2021), Sherridan Atkinson (2018) and Ariel Turner (2012) as recent representatives for Purdue Female Athlete of the Year.
Edey, the most-dominant player in college basketball during the 2022-23 season, won all six National Player of the Year awards, winning the Wooden Award, the Naismith Trophy, The Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA), Associated Press (AP) National Player of the Year, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Player of the Year and The Sporting News National Player of the Year. In addition, he has won the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the nation's top center.
He was named a first-team All-American by every outlet and recently was named a finalist for the top Male College Athlete ESPY award by ESPN.
Edey became the first Boilermaker since Glenn Robinson in 1994 to win National Player of the Year accolades. He is also the fifth Big Ten Player in the last 14 years to be named National Player of the Year joining Evan Turner (2010), Trey Burke (2013), Frank Kaminsky (2015) and Luka Garza (2021) as National Players of the Year.
Edey earned Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year after a remarkable junior season at Purdue. He was named a consensus first-team All-American, the second straight season that Purdue has had a consensus All-American (Jaden Ivey, 2022), after averaging 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists per game.
He became the first player in NCAA history (since blocks became an official NCAA stat) to record at least 750 points, 400 rebounds, 70 blocks and 50 assists in a season, ranking sixth nationally in scoring, second in rebounds, 19th in blocked shots and 21st in field goal percentage (.607), the only player in the NCAA database to rank in the top 25 of all four categories in the same season.
He finished the season ranking sixth on Purdue's single-season chart for points (757), first in rebounds (438), fifth in field goals made (290), 14th in field goal percentage (.607), first in dunks (76) and second in double-doubles (27).
Both Edey and Hudson return for the 2023-24 campaign. Edey looks to lead the Boilermakers to back-to-back Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles. The men's basketball team is ranked in the top five of all the "way-too-early" top-25 polls. Volleyball preseason rankings will be announced in August.
Together, the pair led the Big Ten in scoring/points and propelled their respective teams to top-five national rankings over the course of their seasons, with men's basketball earning the No. 1 spot and volleyball climbing to No. 5.
In Hudson's first year on the collegiate scene, she became the first freshman in program history to receive an All-America Honorable Mention nod. The most decorated freshman in Purdue volleyball history was also named Midwest Region Freshman of the Year, All-Big Ten First Team, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and unanimous Big Ten All-Freshman Team after leading the entire league in kills (503) and points (570.5).
Hudson's status as the most accomplished freshman Purdue has ever seen is not confined West Lafayette – in fact, she is one of the most accomplished freshmen the Big Ten has produced, having earned more Big Ten Player of the Week awards than any newcomer before her, all in addition to her six Freshman of the Week accolades.
She is Purdue volleyball's first newcomer to make an All-Big Ten or honorable mention list since 2005.
Hudson is one of four Boilermakers to post at least 1,420 attacks in a single season and one of five Boilermakers to register 515 kills this century. Meanwhile, she is the only one to accomplish the feats during her first year.
The Fort Wayne, Indiana native produced at least 15 kills in 21 matches this season and recorded a hitting % of .300 or better 11 times, including six at a hitting clip of .400% and above. She averaged 4.78 points per set, 4.22 kills per set and 2.04 digs per set while tallying seven double-doubles over the campaign. Nationally, Hudson ranked eighth in total attacks (1,420), 14th in total points (583) and 16th in total kills (515).
Hudson joins the ranks of fellow volleyball players Grace Cleveland (2021), Sherridan Atkinson (2018) and Ariel Turner (2012) as recent representatives for Purdue Female Athlete of the Year.
Edey, the most-dominant player in college basketball during the 2022-23 season, won all six National Player of the Year awards, winning the Wooden Award, the Naismith Trophy, The Oscar Robertson Trophy (USBWA), Associated Press (AP) National Player of the Year, National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Player of the Year and The Sporting News National Player of the Year. In addition, he has won the Pete Newell Big Man of the Year Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the nation's top center.
He was named a first-team All-American by every outlet and recently was named a finalist for the top Male College Athlete ESPY award by ESPN.
Edey became the first Boilermaker since Glenn Robinson in 1994 to win National Player of the Year accolades. He is also the fifth Big Ten Player in the last 14 years to be named National Player of the Year joining Evan Turner (2010), Trey Burke (2013), Frank Kaminsky (2015) and Luka Garza (2021) as National Players of the Year.
Edey earned Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year after a remarkable junior season at Purdue. He was named a consensus first-team All-American, the second straight season that Purdue has had a consensus All-American (Jaden Ivey, 2022), after averaging 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists per game.
He became the first player in NCAA history (since blocks became an official NCAA stat) to record at least 750 points, 400 rebounds, 70 blocks and 50 assists in a season, ranking sixth nationally in scoring, second in rebounds, 19th in blocked shots and 21st in field goal percentage (.607), the only player in the NCAA database to rank in the top 25 of all four categories in the same season.
He finished the season ranking sixth on Purdue's single-season chart for points (757), first in rebounds (438), fifth in field goals made (290), 14th in field goal percentage (.607), first in dunks (76) and second in double-doubles (27).
Both Edey and Hudson return for the 2023-24 campaign. Edey looks to lead the Boilermakers to back-to-back Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles. The men's basketball team is ranked in the top five of all the "way-too-early" top-25 polls. Volleyball preseason rankings will be announced in August.