Edey Named AP First-Team All-American; Smith to Honorable Mention Squad
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – For the second straight year, Purdue senior center Zach Edey has been voted a unanimous selection to the Associated Press (AP) First-Team All-America, the organization announced Tuesday afternoon.
Edey was the only player voted to the first team on all 58 ballots, making him the first two-time, first-team All-American selection at Purdue since Rick Mount in 1969 and 1970. Edey becomes the first two-time All-American (any team) since Carsen Edwards in 2018 and 2019.
The NABC and USBWA All-America awards will be announced Wednesday. Should Edey land on those teams, he will become a consensus first-team All-America honoree for the second straight season.
Last week, he was named a repeat winner of The Sporting News’ National Player of the Year, the eighth player since 1943 to accomplish that.
Dating to last year, Edey has now won all seven major National Player of the Year accolades that have been handed out as he has a chance to become the first unanimous (winning all of them) back-to-back National Player of the Year honoree since Bill Walton in 1972 and 1973. The five remaining National Player of the Year awards come from the Associated Press, the Naismith Award, the Wooden Award, the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the United States Basketball Writers Association.
Edey has dominated all season long, currently averaging 24.4 points, 11.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 2.1 assists per game in all games played, but increasing his numbers to 25.4 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.2 blocks per game in Big Ten play. On Monday, March 11, he set a Big Ten record with 12 Big Ten Player of the Week honors during his career.
Edey is the only player in Big Ten history to record at least 700 points and 350 rebounds in a season, doing so both this year and last year, and needs 13 rebounds to become the fifth player in NCAA history with two seasons of at least 750 points and 400 rebounds (Elvin Hayes, Oscar Robertson, Rick Barry, Jerry West).
Should be reach 400 rebounds this season (13 away), Edey will become the first player in NCAA history with 800 points, 400 rebounds, 50 assists and 50 blocks in a season.
Edey has produced against the nation’s best teams, averaging a combined 40.2 points, rebounds and assists against high-major opposition, currently the first player in at least the last 15 years to average a combined 40 points, rebounds and assists against high-major opposition. Edey Leads the country in 30-10 games with seven (next closest is 3) and 20-10 games with 18 (next closest is 16).
In the Big Ten Tournament semifinal game against Wisconsin, Edey became the school’s all-time scoring leader, now with 2,339 points, passing Rick Mount’s 54-year old record of 2,323 points. Edey is now the school’s all-time leader in points, rebounds and double-doubles.
Edey’s seven career 30-15 games are the most for a high-major player in the last 15 years (Marvin Bagley, Blake Griffin – 4) by three games. His 10 career games of at least 25 points and 15 rebounds are also the most nationally in that span (Blake Griffin – 9) and his 15 career 30-10 games are the second most for any player in the last 15 years (South Dakota State’s Mike Daum – 21).
Edey is the first player in Big Ten history with 2,200 career points and 1,200 career rebounds, and has joined David Robinson (Navy, 1984-87) as the only players in NCAA history with 2,200 career points, 1,200 career rebounds, 200 career blocks and to shoot over 60.0 percent from the field.
Meanwhile, Braden Smith has had an outstanding sophomore season, en route to first-team All-Big Ten honors and honorable mention All-America accolades.
A Cousy Award finalist, Smith is averaging 12.5 points, 7.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game, but saw his averages bump to 12.5 points, 7.6 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game in Big Ten action. He is the nation’s leader in total assists with 240 and needs seven assists for 400 in his career. Should he reach 400 assists this season, he will become the fourth sophomore in Big Ten history with 400 assists by the end of their sophomore seasons (Magic Johnson, Trey Burke, Cassius Winston).
Smith became the first Boilermaker to lead the Big Ten in assists since 1990 (Tony Jones, and has smashed the school record for assists in a season (240 and counting).
He has six double-doubles and eight games with 10 or more assists – a new school record, and dished out 16 assists against Northwestern, the second most in a game in school history and the most in almost 50 years. The 16 assists were the most for a Big Ten player in the last 15 years.
Smith is already one of 17 players in NCAA history to have at least 400 points, 240 assists, 190 rebounds and 50 steals in a season. Among Big Ten players, Smith and Magic Johnson are the only players to accomplish that feat.
For his career, already has 754 points, 393 assists, 338 rebounds and 96 steals in 68 career games, and is seven assists away from becoming one of five players in NCAA history to have at least 750 points, 400 assists, 325 rebounds and 90 steals through completion of their sophomore season (Kenny Anderson, Nick Calathes, D.J. Cooper and Jason Kidd).
The Boilermakers will face the winner of Montana State or Grambling in Friday’s NCAA Tournament first-round action in Indianapolis.