Is there a new Shaquille O’Neal in town? The Purdue Boilermakers are proving why they deserve the No. 1 seed during March Madness. In the second round of the NCAA today, the Boilermakers demolished the 8th-seed Utah State Aggies with a difference of 39 points(106-67), and this was fueled by 7’4 center Zach Edey’s historic 20-point game today. By consistently dropping dominant numbers in the last few games, Edey has now made it to the same conversation as Shaquille O’Neal. 

2x NCAA Big Ten Player of the Year Zach Edey secured 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 assists against Utah State today. However, the 3 important blocks he recorded was the X factor. What’s noteworthy is that the 21-year-old center has dropped at least 20 points and 3 blocks, back-to-back, in the last three games. The only other player to do this was Shaq, who recorded it twice in both 1991 and 1992. However, that is not the only highlight.

This statistic also caught the attention of the Los Angeles Lakers legend himself. Shaq, who was impressed by this historic feat after 32 years, decided to give Edey a new nickname. He shared on his Instagram, “@zach_edey way to dominate, I’m changing your name to Zachille O’Neal”. A high honor for the 21-year-old Canadian.

In the first round of the NCAA, Edey had 30 points, 21 rebounds, and 3 blocks. In the last game of the regular season, he dropped 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Well, that’s pretty close to the numbers Shaq used to record during his college days! However, it would surprising for you to know that Edey faces a lot of criticism, despite such big numbers. 

Charles Barkley addresses the criticism of Zach Edey 

The Purdue Boilermakers have made it to the NCAA tournament during the last three seasons under the leadership of Edey. Despite finishing high in the regular season, they have not found a lot of success in the March Madness.

Is Zach Edey the Best NCAA Player This Season?

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In the 2021-22 season, the Boilermakers made it to the Sweet Sixteen where they lost to Saint Peter’s. In the 22-23 season, they were first-round exits after they lost to the 16th seed Fairleigh Dickinson. Somehow, all the criticism has fallen on Edey for these upsets. Barkley did not entertain that. 

He shared on live TV yesterday, “I think Zach Edey gets a bad rap. I’ve heard people criticizing him…He ain’t the reason they’re losing. He’s the reason they’re the No. 1 seed.” Just a day later now, he has got his flowers from the Big Diesel himself. This shows us how important Edey is for the Purdue Boilermakers. Do you think he can lead his team past the Sweet Sixteen this year? Let us know your thoughts below.

March Madness: Charles Barkley Makes 1 Bold Claim and 1 Sorrowful Take