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Zach Edey had one of the best performances in national championship history on paper, but one NBA veteran says it should have been even better.
The Purdue big man dropped 37 points, but the UConn Huskies went back-to-back with a 75-60 victory, continuing their March Madness dominance from last year.
Edey scored 21 of his 37 points in the second half, all inside the 15-minute mark, but Draymond Green said Edey “quit” early on in the half in response to tough defense from Samson Johnson, who played just five minutes and fouled out.
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Zach Edey of the Purdue Boilermakers walks across the court in the second half against the Connecticut Huskies during the NCAA national championship game at State Farm Stadium April 8, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“Job Well Done 35! You did your job tonight. It was him that made Edey quit with about 19 mins to go in the 2nd half,” Green wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “There was a turnover and I saw Edey body language walking back. He was done. Now rewatch the game from that point on. #FreeGame”
Social media users were quick to roast Green for the take.
Zach Edey (15) of the Purdue Boilermakers dribbles the ball while being guarded by Samson Johnson (35) of the Connecticut Huskies in the second half during the NCAA national championship game at State Farm Stadium April 8, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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“Too bad Edey didn’t have Steph to carry him like you did your entire career,” wrote Anthony Lynch.
During the game, another user mentioned Edey had 29 of Purdue’s 49 points at the time.
“He doubled up as national player of that year. He didn’t quit homie. Dude ballin with 0 help,” wrote Dennis Marshall.
“Did you just shoutout a guy who played 5 minutes in the game….. ……For “shutting down” the guy who scored 2/3rds of his teams points?” added Paul Lenkeit.
Purdue scored just 30 points in the second half. The Boilermakers began the half down 36-30, and UConn opened up on an 11-4 run to go up 13 and never looked back. The Huskies’ lead never dropped below nine the rest of the night.
Zach Edey (15) of the Purdue Boilermakers battles for a loose ball against Samson Johnson (35) of the Connecticut Huskies in the second half during the NCAA national championship game at State Farm Stadium April 8, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
Edey was 15-for-25 on the night, and the Boilermakers took just seven shots from 3-point range, making just one.
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