Zach Edey is Named the NABC Player of the Year

Zach Edey has been named the Division 1 Player of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Edey transformed his body, his game, and his role in his three years at Purdue. Despite standing at 7-4, Edey was a relative unknown when Matt Painter offered the big man from Canada. He was a recruit well outside the top-400.

He surprised in his first season, despite just picking up the sport a couple years prior to joining the Purdue program, his size, hands, and determination got him on the floor as a true freshman. Last season, the big man split time with All-B10 center Trevion Williams.

Purdue came into this season having lost Trevion Williams, Jaden Ivey, and most their scoring scoring production. It was a rebuilding year with Zach Edey having to try and replicate his high efficiency numbers while playing as the focal point and starting big man for a program used to dominating in the paint.

Zach Edey was a revelation, a 22.3 points a night, 12.9 rebound monster on the offensive and defensive end where he blocked 2.1 shots a game. Purdue thrived for it, winning its first 13 games, and 22 of its first 23 games.

Zach Edey came into college without much for expectations, and he certainly didn't go into his junior year with much in the way of National Player of the Year buzz.

But it became very clear early on after an 8 game stretch where Edey scored 20+ in every game, led Purdue to a sweep of the Phil Knight Invitational, and outplayed the likes of Kyle Fillipowksi and Drew Timme, the big man from Canada was the nation's most dominant force.

And now the NABC has joined the Sporting News in naming them their National Player of the Year.

Zach Edey is the first Boilermaker to win this award since Glenn Robinson in 1994,