Watch: Purdue's Zach Edey logs double-double in first half
Star center Zach Edey is trying to ensure Purdue doesn't have another early exit in his final NCAA Tournament appearance.
In a second-round matchup against No. 8 seed Utah State, the senior had a double-double in the first half, scoring 21 points and recording 11 rebounds. The No. 1 seed Boilermakers led the Aggies 49-33 at halftime.
Edey was recently named a Wooden Award finalist, given to the best player in college basketball, and could become the first repeat winner since Virginia's Ralph Sampson (1982 and 1983).
However, NCAA Tournament success has eluded him. He's only advanced past the second round once in four seasons at Purdue. Last season, the Boilermakers lost to No. 16 seed Farleigh Dickinson.
"I think a lot of people on this team have that game in the back of their minds, and that's not who we are," Edey recently told WISH-TV in Indianapolis. "That's not what we're defined by. I think a lot of people on the team want to show that's not the truth."
Thus far, Edey and the Boilermakers are quelling their skeptics. In a 78-50 first-round victory against Grambling State, the 7-foot-4, 300-pounder had 30 points and 21 rebounds. As of Sunday, FanDuel gives Purdue the third-best national championship odds (+600).
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