If you ask who is the most watched basketball player in the NCAA right now, Purdue University’s Zach Edey will definitely be on the list.
With a Chinese face, Edey, whose Chinese name is Zhou Zhihao, is a Chinese-Canadian. His height of 7 feet 4 inches (approximately 224 centimeters) makes him look like a giant on the court, and unlike those long men who are tall but slow to move, Edey has excellent low-post singles and athletic ability, plus 7 Cheng Duo’s excellent free throw shooting skills earned him the title of “Little Yao Ming”.
Last season, Edey, a junior, posted 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.1 blocks, and a shooting percentage of 60.7%. He can be said to be one of the best centers in American college competitions. However, even though the statistics were already monster, I didn’t expect that Edey could evolve further this year. This season, he scored 24.6 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 blocks, and shot 62.4% from the field. He has become the best player in the current college game. There is no such thing as a dominant center.
“Your name should be Zachille O’neal.”
This is the title given to Edey by Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal after he posted 20 points and 3 blocks in three consecutive games. What is surprising is that such a player has been exposed to formal basketball training for less than six years, but he is already full of honors in college basketball. He is not only the best player in the Big Ten Conference in 2023 and 2024, but also in scoring. And ranked among the top three in league history in rebounding.
However, such a dominant center was considered to have a high probability of not being selected in last year’s NBA draft simulation. Even if there was a chance of being drafted, he would be a second-round selection at best.
This ultimately led Edey to opt out of the draft and decide to return to college for another year, a decision that ultimately proved to be the right one.
Not only did the statistics improve across the board, but he also led Purdue University out of the predicament of being upset by a low-ranked team last year and all the way to the Final Four. With his performance, his draft value has also increased. In this draft year that is considered to be lacking in talent, he has a chance to enter the lottery area with the top 14 picks.
From being possibly undrafted to possibly entering the lottery, this symbolizes his transformation from being underestimated to proving his worth with his strength. This is the epitome of Edey’s journey.
The tall body hides the soul of hockey and baseball
“I told his parents once.”
“You should let him have a basketball in his hand.”
Like many kids growing up in Canada, Edey’s first sport wasn’t basketball, but ice hockey. However, when he was only eight years old, he was already nearly 180 centimeters tall. Such a tall figure made the ice hockey coach think that he should play basketball. Even when playing against kids his own age, he had to be careful not to swing his elbow over someone’s head. Even if he’s just standing still, if someone hits him, Edey’s sheer size will cause the opponent to fall, resulting in a foul being called.
“I know a lot of people are talking about me.”
“I know I’m different from others.”
“I accept my differences and hate being the same as everyone else.”
“As a tall Chinese player.”
“It feels like you just have to fight the world all the time.”
Growing up, Edey was ostracized and discussed because her height did not match that of other children her age, a phenomenon exacerbated by the presence of Chinese-American faces. However, Edey said in a later interview that these remarks did not knock him down, but instead developed his rebellious character. When others asked him to do something, he would not do it.
Therefore, he did not follow the ice hockey coach’s advice to play basketball at first, but because he had practiced ice hockey since he was a child, he had better lower body flexibility than the average tall man, laying a good foundation for his subsequent sports.
“That day, my parents took me to a meadow.”
“I thought we were going on a picnic.”
“But it was a baseball tryout, and they wanted me to try out.”
By chance, baseball entered Edey’s life. They originally planned to attend a football training camp, but while waiting, Edey’s tall figure was immediately spotted by Jeff Wolburgh, the coach of the youth baseball team nearby, who asked Edey’s parents if they were interested in letting their children try baseball.
At first, because of his rebellious personality, Edey was not very interested in baseball, but after a few trainings, he began to find baseball interesting. In addition, his tall stature limited his development in ice hockey at the same level, making him Start training for baseball.
And Edey is really talented. Not only can he throw fastballs with speeds of 70 to 75 miles per hour at a young age, but he is also very powerful in hitting. His huge footwork and stride make him handy at guarding first base. . The coach also recalled that baseball allowed Edey to find himself. In the past, due to his height and face, Edey had always been a rather shy and introverted child off the sports field, but as long as he stood on the field, Edey’s enthusiasm and desire to win were unparalleled.
2024-04-08 12:38:07
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