Purdue Basketball Coach Matt Painter Urging for Foul Calls on Zach Edey

"This can't lead to him getting hurt or somebody else getting hurt," Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter said. "It's starting to get a little bit out of control."

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Standing at 7-foot-4, Purdue basketball's star center Zach Edey is one of the toughest covers in all of college basketball.

At this point in the 2022-23 season, Edey knows that opposing teams are going to throw whatever they can at him in an attempt to slow him down. It can be as simple as, but not limited to, deploying variations of defensive schemes.

Some players must resort to grabbing Edey's jersey, pressing him with both arms underneath the basket or even driving knees into his rear end.

"What's happening is, he's getting away with some small things, but the magnitude of the fouls that are not getting called for him is like three to one," Purdue coach Matt Painter said on Tuesday. "If you go back and watch film and you're honest about it, and you don't have blurred vision through your black and gold, and you're just honest and you look at it, we're getting the short end of the stick."

After the Boilermakers' most recent game, a 58-55 victory over Maryland on Sunday at Mackey Arena, Painter spoke of the frustrations that come when Edey is pummelled inside the paint as teams look to counter his size.

Painter compared what Edey endures on a game-by-game basis to a piñata being struck at a party.

"I don't think there's any candy inside Zach," Painter said after the win over the Terrapins. "But it gets old, it really does. As a coach, you don't want to complain. Play the game and move on. But I feel for him. It's going to have to get extreme before I get upset about stuff, and I think we're past that."

This season, Edey is being called for just 1.5 fouls per game, down from 2.0 last year and 2.3 during his freshman campaign. It's been a conscious effort for the towering frontline weapon to cut down on fouling throughout his three seasons in West Lafayette.

When he isn't piling on personal fouls, Edey is able to stay on the floor for the Boilermakers and continues to boast an average of more than 31 minutes played per contest.

The only time he's found himself watching from the bench with foul trouble was on Jan. 2 against Rutgers. Edey registered three fouls in the matchup, the most he's been called for in Big Ten play, and Purdue ultimately suffered its only loss of the season in a one-point decision.

"Some people say I don't get called for fouls, and I don't believe that," Edey said. "I think I've really just worked at not fouling people. Sometimes I'll give up a layup, sometimes I'll give up a dunk because I feel like I'm more useful on the floor than two points or maybe a chance at a blocked shot.

"The one game I got in foul trouble this year, I felt like I kind of let my team down in the Rutgers game in the first half."

Painter, as well as Edey, isn't advocating for officials to blow the whistle every time he gathers the ball in the offensive half of the court. But consistency is what's key in these frontcourt matchups.

"The egregious chucks, grabs and all those things, they've got to be called, and it's got to be called every time," Painter said. "I think the officials don't want to call it every single time because in most scenarios, people aren't going to do that. But since he's such a touch cover, that's what keeps happening."

Edey admitted that he isn't envious of the responsibilities that came with being a college basketball official. There's only one player like Edey in the entire country, and learning how to manage a game as a referee with a player of his size and caliber is no easy challenge.

He understands that, but he is also appreciative that Painter has his back and is willing to take a stand when calls get out of hand.

"He knows how much I get fouled, he knows I get fouled every possession," Edey said. "I think a lot of people know that, but you can't call it every possession, obviously. They'll have two hands against my back, they'll have a knee up my butt, those are just fouls.

"They'll put all their body weight against me, that's just a foul. But I'm strong enough and I can kind of deal with it. They can't call a foul every possession, so that's something I have to just deal with."

Throughout a basketball game, there are going missed calls on both ends of the floor, both Edey and Painter know that all too well. It's something that Purdue is able to work through and let go of at the end of the day.

"But not the egregious stuff," Painter added. "Not the obvious things that are going to be flagrant or are going to be going to the monitor and things like that. This can't lead to him getting hurt or somebody else getting hurt. It's starting to get a little bit out of control." 

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