Edey Named Sporting News Player of the Year to Lead 4 All-America Honors

ROSEMONT, Ill.— Purdue’s Junior Center Zach Edey was named International Player of the Year by Sporting News. Edey was also one of four Big Ten players who were named to and joined the publication’s All-America team Trayce Jackson Davis from indiana, Jalen Pickett from Penn State and Chris Murray from Iowa.

Edey, who was also named Big Ten Player of the Year, joins Glenn Robinson (1994) and John Wooden (1932) as Purdue National Player of the Year and joins Robinson as winner of Sporting News’ top honor.

The junior is currently averaging 22.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists per game while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field and nearly 75 percent from the free throw line — he ranks eighth nationally in scoring and second in rebounds. He also leads the country with 23 double-doubles.


He’s one of only two Big Ten players in the past 30 years (Michigans Chris Webber) to have at least 600 points, 350 rebounds and 50 blocked shots and is on track to become the first player since Navys David Robinson in the years 1985-86 to have at least 750 points, 450 rebounds and 50 blocked shots in a season.


Jackson-Davis joins Edey on the first team after averaging 20.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.7 blocks and 0.9 steals per game. In Big Ten play, Jackson-Davis ranked second in the league with 21.8 points and 12.4 rebounds per contest. He leads the conference with 2.9 blocked shots per game. His rebound rate is the second-highest in conference game in the last 25 seasons.

Pickett, who earned second-team honors, is the only player in the country who averages at least 17 points (17.9) per game, seven rebounds (7.3) per game and six assists (6.7) per game. Only two men’s college basketball players have finished a season averaging 17/7/6 or better in the past 30 years (since the 1992-93 season): Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine (19.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 7.8 apg – 2015-16) and Penny Hardaway of Memphis (22.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 6.4 apg – 1992-93).

Kris Murray was named to the third team after averaging 20.5 points and eight rebounds per game. He is the only Division I player to average at least 20 points, 7.5 rebounds and 60+ three-pointers this season.

The Sporting News All-America Team is one of four postseason honors used to determine consensus All-America status and accedes to the Associated Press, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), and the USBWA ( US Basketball Writers Association).