Zach Edey Refused to Lose, Carried Purdue to the Final Four

The All-American center had 40 points and 16 rebounds against Tennessee.

Tennessee v Purdue / Mike Mulholland/GettyImages

After 44 years, Purdue will be making its return to the Final Four. On Sunday, the Boilermakers outlasted the Tennessee Volunteers, 72-66. It was a fierce back-and-forth Elite Eight matchup featuring impressive performances from on both sides. But no one was more remarkable than Zach Edey, who posted a career-high 40 points, added 16 rebounds and powered his team to the final weekend of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Purdue was cold from beyond the arc all game, so the burden fell on Edey to produce and he stepped up big time. The reigning Naismith Player of the Year was 13-of-21 from the field, dominating on the block as he pulled move after move out of his bag. Edey also benefitted from a plethora of whistles and attempted 22 free throws, sinking 13. He put an exclamation point on his performance by rejecting a Dalton Knecht layup with 34 seconds to play to seal the game.

For his part, Knecht did absolutely everything he could to propel the Volunteers past No. 1 seed Purdue. The All-American sharpshooter put up 37 points, hitting 12 of 31 from the field, including 6-of-12 from three-point range. He helped Tennessee take an early lead and kept things close every time Purdue was on the verge of pulling away in the second half.

It was an epic duel between two elite players. Much of the second half was essentially a heavyweight bout between Edey and Knecht. Purdue would throw it to Edey on the block, he'd make a move, or draw a foul, and put points on the board. Tennessee would then come down and run a series of screens for Knecht until he finally found a sliver of daylight and let the ball fly. It was tremendous basketball for much of the game, though Tennessee fans might be complaining about the free throw disparity for years. The Volunteers attempted 11, while the Boilermakers shot 33.

Sunday's performance also served as a reminder that Edey is on an all-time run right now. He is averaging 30.0 points and 16.3 rebounds per game over the first four rounds of the NCAA tournament. The two-time All-American and Purdue are answering the many questions rightfully asked of them after losing to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson last March. Now Edey has led Purdue back to the Final Four.

The Boilermakers have their best shot at a national title in nearly 50 years. It'll fall on Edey to deliver the program to the promised land. If Sunday was any indication, the big man is ready for the moment.

Liam McKeone is an editor for The Big Lead.