Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images
Gonzaga will play in its ninth-straight Sweet 16 when it takes on Purdue in Detroit Friday night.
The fifth-seeded Bulldogs are quite familiar with the No. 1 seed Boilermakers, having played them in each of the last two seasons. That means they’ve had to deal with Purdue’s 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey, the likely National Player of the Year.
While that experience could come in handy, it doesn’t mean Edey doesn’t pose a tremendous challenge, as Gonzaga head coach Mark Few made clear during an appearance on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” Tuesday afternoon.
“In 25 years I’ve been a head coach here, I’ve never dealt with a player of an entity like him,” Few told Cowherd. “He is a really, really good basketball player. He does everything well. He posts the right way. He can score…Very efficient, and he shoots free throws really well.”
Few also made mention of Edey’s ability as a rim protector and space eater defensively, which is something every opposing team must contend with.
After putting up 30 points, 21 rebounds and three blocks in Purdue’s first round win over Grambling State last Friday, Edey produced 23 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in a blowout win over Utah State Sunday afternoon.
On the season, he’s averaging 24.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game while shooting 62.3% from the field and 71.4% from the free throw line.
Purdue and Gonzaga will tip off at 7:39 p.m. ET Friday night on TBS, with the winner moving on to face either Creighton or Tennessee in the Elite Eight.