NCAA MEN'S 2023 BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

April 1, 2023

Zach Edey

Associated Press Player of the Year Press Conference

BARRY BEDLAN: Hello, everyone, and thanks to the NCAA for allowing us to present our award as well. It's kind of Ground Hog Day for Zach here, probably this whole weekend for all the awards he's getting.

Zach, I was curious, Zach is the tallest recipient of the AP College Basketball Player of the Year Award since Ralph Sampson, which seems appropriate since we're in Houston.

Since 1967 the recipient of this award has been selected by the same panel of journalists that selects the weekly AP Top 25 that season. Voting for the award is conducted at the end of the regular season, before the start of the NCAA Tournament.

Past recipients, I mentioned Ralph Sampson. I include Michael Jordan; Larry Bird; Lewis Alcindor, now Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; and David Robertson, to name a few.

This year's recipient is only the second player from Purdue to receive the trophy. The other being Glenn Robinson in 1994.

This 7'4" Canadian was named in an unanimous AP All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year after leading the nation with 26 double-doubles. He averaged more than 22 points, nearly 13 rebounds and two blocks per game. He led the Boilermakers to their first outright Big Ten regular season title since 2017 and the conference tournament title as well.

And as mentioned during the previous news conference he's the first player in nearly 40 years since Navy's David Robertson to have at least 750 points, 450 rebounds and 50 blocked shots in a season.

This year's AP Men's College Basketball Player of the Year is Purdue's Zach Edey.

(Applause)

ZACH EDEY: It's an honor to have my name mentioned with some of the all-time greats. David Robertson, to have my name mentioned with him, and Purdue greats as well like Glenn Robinson and John Wooden. When I think back to guys like that, you think of all their stories, everything you've heard about them. And now to think that I may be one day be talking about me like that, it's a crazy feeling, something I'm soaking in, something that I really appreciate.

But I know I wouldn't be here without the people around me. Not without my family, my coaching staff, my teammates supporting me every step of the way. I don't know how it would have turned out.

When I first got to Purdue, I was nowhere near the person or player that I am now. I think Coach Painter and my teammates have really helped me with that and that's something I'm forever grateful to them for.

Q. What do you think it says that you are the third consecutive recipient of someone who played the center position and, I guess, arguable five consecutive years for a front-court player, for a position that many people considered to be somewhat extinct in this current game of basketball, what do you think that that says about being able to be someone who is getting that award?

ZACH EDEY: I mean, it's crazy. I didn't know that five front-court players won in a row. It kind of shows how the big man is still important in the game. It shows how the big man can affect the game. But it's cool facts.

Q. You grew up playing hockey and baseball, but did you follow basketball as a fan? Did you have a favorite team or favorite player?

ZACH EDEY: I watched the NBA because I was in Toronto, so I watched the Raptors. But I didn't really follow basketball at all because I didn't play -- didn't have any interest in it at all.

Q. Where are you going to put all these trophies?

ZACH EDEY: I have no idea. I live in college house. I don't know where I'm going to put these things.