WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue senior center Zach Edey has been named a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, given annually to the nation's top center, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.
Edey won last year's award and is looking to become just the second repeat winner of the award (Iowa's Luka Garza – 2020, 2021). A Big Ten player has won the award in five of the nine seasons (2015 – Frank Kaminsky; 2019 – Ethan Happ; 2020 – Luka Garza; 2021 – Luka Garza; 2023 – Zach Edey).
Edey is joined by Kansas' Hunter Dickinson, Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner, North Carolina's Armando Bacot and Clemson's P.J. Hall as finalists. Teammate Braden Smith was announced as a Cousy Award finalist earlier this week.
Edey is having one of most-statistically dominating seasons in college basketball history, averaging 24.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 62.0 percent from the field. Edey needs just 26 points and 50 rebounds to become just the fifth player in NCAA history with two seasons of at least 750 points and 400 rebounds (Elvin Hayes, Oscar Robertson, Rick Barry, Jerry West).
In Big Ten play, Edey's averages balloon to 25.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.1 blocks per game, while shooting 63.0 percent from the field.
Edey has moved into second place on Purdue's career scoring chart, now with 2,257 points and needing 66 points to tie Rick Mount for the school's career scoring record. He has moved into the top 10 on the Big Ten's all-time scoring list.
Edey's seven career 30-15 games are the most for a high-major player in the last 15 years (Marvin Bagley, Blake Griffin – 4) by three games. His 10 career games of at least 25 points and 15 rebounds are also the most nationally in that span (Blake Griffin – 9).
His 15 career 30-10 games are the second most for any player in the last 15 years (South Dakota State's Mike Daum – 21). Edey needs just three rebounds to become the first player in Big Ten history with 2,200 career points and 1,200 career rebounds. Edey has joined David Robinson (Navy, 1984-87) as the only players in NCAA history with 2,200 career points, 1,100 career rebounds, 200 career blocks and to shoot over 60.0 percent from the field.
Edey and the No. 3-ranked Boilermakers host Wisconsin on Sunday, March 10, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET. It will be the final home game of the season.
Edey won last year's award and is looking to become just the second repeat winner of the award (Iowa's Luka Garza – 2020, 2021). A Big Ten player has won the award in five of the nine seasons (2015 – Frank Kaminsky; 2019 – Ethan Happ; 2020 – Luka Garza; 2021 – Luka Garza; 2023 – Zach Edey).
Edey is joined by Kansas' Hunter Dickinson, Creighton's Ryan Kalkbrenner, North Carolina's Armando Bacot and Clemson's P.J. Hall as finalists. Teammate Braden Smith was announced as a Cousy Award finalist earlier this week.
Edey is having one of most-statistically dominating seasons in college basketball history, averaging 24.1 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 62.0 percent from the field. Edey needs just 26 points and 50 rebounds to become just the fifth player in NCAA history with two seasons of at least 750 points and 400 rebounds (Elvin Hayes, Oscar Robertson, Rick Barry, Jerry West).
In Big Ten play, Edey's averages balloon to 25.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.1 blocks per game, while shooting 63.0 percent from the field.
Edey has moved into second place on Purdue's career scoring chart, now with 2,257 points and needing 66 points to tie Rick Mount for the school's career scoring record. He has moved into the top 10 on the Big Ten's all-time scoring list.
Edey's seven career 30-15 games are the most for a high-major player in the last 15 years (Marvin Bagley, Blake Griffin – 4) by three games. His 10 career games of at least 25 points and 15 rebounds are also the most nationally in that span (Blake Griffin – 9).
His 15 career 30-10 games are the second most for any player in the last 15 years (South Dakota State's Mike Daum – 21). Edey needs just three rebounds to become the first player in Big Ten history with 2,200 career points and 1,200 career rebounds. Edey has joined David Robinson (Navy, 1984-87) as the only players in NCAA history with 2,200 career points, 1,100 career rebounds, 200 career blocks and to shoot over 60.0 percent from the field.
Edey and the No. 3-ranked Boilermakers host Wisconsin on Sunday, March 10, beginning at 12:30 p.m. ET. It will be the final home game of the season.