Purdue Center Zach Edey Named to 2023 NABC Division I Player of the Year Preseason Watch List
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — National Association of Basketball Coaches announced that Purdue junior center Zach Edey is one of 20 players to be named to the preseason Player of the Year watch list.
.@zach_edey named to the @NABC1927 Preseason Player of the Year Watch List. pic.twitter.com/nnMuknEy2r
— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) November 3, 2022
The 2023 NABC Division I Player of the Year is selected by a vote of Division I head coaches and will be announced during the 2023 Men’s Final Four in Houston. Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe was the recipient of the award last season, and will look to become the first repeat winner since Duke’s Jason Williams in 2001 and 2002.
Edey — a 7-foot-4 center from Toronto, Ontario — was a unanimous selection to the 2022-23 Preseason All-Big Ten Team. He put up an average of 14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks in just 19 minutes per game during the 2021-22 season while leading the conference in field goal percentage.
Edey is the only player in the last 30 years to average 14 points, seven rebounds, one assist and one block while playing in less than 20 minutes per game. He is one of just five players to accomplish those numbers in under 25 minutes per contest.
In the team's 102-57 exhibition win on Wednesday night against Truman State, Edey notched 23 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks in just 16 minutes on the floor. He was 8-of-9 from the field and knocked down seven of his nine free-throw attempts on the night.
Purdue basketball is scheduled to begin the regular season on Nov. 8 against Milwaukee inside Mackey Arena.
2023 NABC Division I Player of the Year – Preseason Watch List
- Max Abmas, Oral Roberts
- Armando Bacot, North Carolina
- Colin Castleton, Florida
- Kendric Davis, Memphis
- RJ Davis, North Carolina
- Hunter Dickinson, Michigan
- Zach Edey, Purdue
- Adam Flagler, Baylor
- Keyonte George, Baylor
- Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana
- Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
- Caleb Love, North Carolina
- Mike Miles Jr., TCU
- Marcus Sasser, Houston
- Nick Smith Jr., Arkansas
- Adama Sanogo, UConn
- Drew Timme, Gonzaga
- Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky
- Jalen Wilson, Kansas
- Isaiah Wong, Miami (Fla.)
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Related Stories:
- Zach Edey Leads Purdue in 102-57 Exhibition Win Over Truman State
- Live Blog: Purdue, Truman State Exhibition Game
- Purdue to Honor Caleb Swanigan During the 2022-23 Season
- Zach Edey Leads Strong Frontcourt for Purdue Basketball
- Purdue Unranked in Preseason AP Top 25 College Basketball Poll
- Purdue Basketball No. 25 in First KenPom Rankings of Season
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.
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