Illinois Coach Brad Underwood Says Purdue's Zach Edey Is Now Better Than Ever

There haven't been many reigning national NCAA players of the year to return for another season.

Purdue center Zach Edey is a rarity in the department. Despite winning the award, he decided to play another season in college. That means the Illinois Fighting Illini has to find a way to defend the 7-foot-4, 300-pound Edey when the teams meet Friday in West Lafayette, Ind.

The No. 9 Illini and top-ranked Boilermakers tip-off at 7:30 p.m. at Mackey Arena.

"He's probably more dominant than he was last year, in my opinion," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. "He's a guy that forces defenses to react to him and every else gets to play off him."

The decision to return was a bizarre for Edey. He waited until the final minutes before the early-entry candidate deadline to announce he was coming back for his senior season.

After averaging 22.9 points and 12.9 rebounds on 60 percent shooting last year, he leads the Boilermakers in scoring (23.1) and rebounding (10.3). Despite his dominance in college, most NBA draft experts project him as a second-round pick this summer. He didn't start playing basketball until he was a sophomore in high school, so he is still learning the game.

Still, the Illini know what they are up against. Underwood called Edey one of the best centers he's coached against.

"He's gotten so much better from his arrival," Underwood said. "That's a tribute to them [Purdue's coaching]. You just don't see 7-4 and 300 pounds ... I think in my time in college basketball, I've never seen a more dominant center."

Illinois Fighting Illini Treating Matchup With No. 1 Purdue As Just Another Game

Shandel Richardson is the Publisher of Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com