Zach Edey stats vs. NC State: Purdue star makes March Madness history, breaks David Robinson record

Kyle Irving

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Zach Edey stats vs. NC State: Purdue star makes March Madness history, breaks David Robinson record image

Zach Edey's historic NCAA Tournament run continues, as Purdue handled NC State to reach the national championship game.

The 7-4 center proved to be too much for the Wolfpack frontcourt to handle — a recurring theme in the Boilermakers' March Madness games. Edey wore down DJ Burns Jr. and Ben Middlebrooks, getting both NC State bigs into foul trouble in the second half of the Final Four contest.

His constant touches forced the Wolfpack to double-team him, leaving Purdue's red-hot 3-point shooters wide open. The approach acted as a double-edged sword for the Boilermakers, as Edey dominated with 20 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, while Purdue also knocked down 10 3-pointers as a team.

Just one year after becoming the second-ever No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed, the Boilermakers are moving on to the NCAA Tournament title game for the first time since 1969 on the shoulders of the two-time National Player of the Year.

DECOURCY: Where does Zach Edey rank among all-time college players?

Zach Edey makes March Madness history vs. NC State in Final Four

Most consecutive 20-point, 10-rebound games in NCAA Tournament history

We haven't seen an answer for Edey yet in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

The star center has taken the same approach in every game to this point. Purdue goes to him early and often in the first half as he puts constant pressure on his opponent's frontcourt. Most NCAA teams don't have more than one or two reliable options to disrupt the 7-4, 300-pound big man, so he attacks to try and rack up fouls on his matchups.

Burns picked up two fouls before he could blink. Middlebrooks held his own against Edey — and played a major role in his five turnovers — but over time, Edey got to him, too.

Burns and Middlebrooks racked up three fouls each by the second half. Once they had to stop playing physically against Edey, the battle was lost. NC State had no choice but to double-team Edey more often, and he responded by kicking out to his 3-point shooters, who put the game out of reach for the Wolfpack.

Edey finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds in the 63-50 win, his sixth-consecutive 20-10 game of the NCAA Tournament.

That feat made March Madness history, passing the great David Robinson's record of five straight 20-10 games. Robinson starred at Navy, and he had five consecutive games of at least 20 points and 10 rebounds across the 1986 and 1987 tournaments.

Larry Bird, Blake Griffin, Shane Battier and Armen Gilliam each posted four consecutive 20-10 games in their collegiate caeers.

MORE: Zach Edey is the most polarizing player in 2024 NBA Draft

Zach Edey minutes played

Perhaps even more impressive than Edey's performance as a whole is that Edey did not sit for a single second in Purdue's Final Four battle with NC State. He played all 40 minutes.

This has become the norm for the Boilermakers over the last three games. Since their Sweet 16 matchup against Gonzaga, Edey has only been on the sidelines for a total of two minutes and 14 seconds.

Round Matchup Minutes Played
Sweet 16 vs. Gonzaga 38 minutes, 19 seconds
Elite Eight vs. Tennessee 39 minutes, 27 seconds
Final Four vs. NC State 40 minutes

The 7-4 center's workload used to require close monitoring, but his endurance this season allows head coach Matt Painter to unleash his most dangerous weapon.

Edey's improved mobility and stamina are a major reason why he is starting to draw first-round projections in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.