Zach Edey's historic NCAA Tournament run continues, as Purdue handled NC State to reach the national championship game.
The 7-4 center proved to be too much for the Wolfpack frontcourt to handle — a recurring theme in the Boilermakers' March Madness games. Edey wore down DJ Burns Jr. and Ben Middlebrooks, getting both NC State bigs into foul trouble in the second half of the Final Four contest.
His constant touches forced the Wolfpack to double-team him, leaving Purdue's red-hot 3-point shooters wide open. The approach acted as a double-edged sword for the Boilermakers, as Edey dominated with 20 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, while Purdue also knocked down 10 3-pointers as a team.
Just one year after becoming the second-ever No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed, the Boilermakers are moving on to the NCAA Tournament title game for the first time since 1969 on the shoulders of the two-time National Player of the Year.
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Zach Edey makes March Madness history vs. NC State in Final Four
Most consecutive 20-point, 10-rebound games in NCAA Tournament history
We haven't seen an answer for Edey yet in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The star center has taken the same approach in every game to this point. Purdue goes to him early and often in the first half as he puts constant pressure on his opponent's frontcourt. Most NCAA teams don't have more than one or two reliable options to disrupt the 7-4, 300-pound big man, so he attacks to try and rack up fouls on his matchups.
Burns picked up two fouls before he could blink. Middlebrooks held his own against Edey — and played a major role in his five turnovers — but over time, Edey got to him, too.
Burns and Middlebrooks racked up three fouls each by the second half. Once they had to stop playing physically against Edey, the battle was lost. NC State had no choice but to double-team Edey more often, and he responded by kicking out to his 3-point shooters, who put the game out of reach for the Wolfpack.
Edey finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds in the 63-50 win, his sixth-consecutive 20-10 game of the NCAA Tournament.
Zach Edey during Purdue's NCAA Tournament run so far this year 😳
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 7, 2024
◽️ 30 PTS | 21 REB
◽️ 23 PTS | 14 REB
◽️ 27 PTS | 14 REB
◽️ 40 PTS | 16 REB
◽️ 20 PTS | 12 REB pic.twitter.com/a27Iv2gJgA
That feat made March Madness history, passing the great David Robinson's record of five straight 20-10 games. Robinson starred at Navy, and he had five consecutive games of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds across the 1986 and 1987 tournaments.
Larry Bird, Blake Griffin, Shane Battier and Armen Gilliam each posted four consecutive 20-10 games in their collegiate caeers.
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Zach Edey minutes played
Perhaps even more impressive than Edey's performance as a whole is that Edey did not sit for a single second in Purdue's Final Four battle with NC State. He played all 40 minutes.
This has become the norm for the Boilermakers over the last three games. Since their Sweet 16 matchup against Gonzaga, Edey has only been on the sidelines for a total of two minutes and 14 seconds.
| Round | Matchup | Minutes Played |
| Sweet 16 | vs. Gonzaga | 38 minutes, 19 seconds |
| Elite Eight | vs. Tennessee | 39 minutes, 27 seconds |
| Final Four | vs. NC State | 40 minutes |
The 7-4 center's workload used to require close monitoring, but his endurance this season allows head coach Matt Painter to unleash his most dangerous weapon.
Edey's improved mobility and stamina are a major reason why he is starting to draw first-round projections in the 2024 NBA Draft.