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Standing at 7 feet 4 inches, Zach Edey is the big guy on Purdue basketball. He is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Edey is the tallest player in the history of the Big Ten Conference and is currently the tallest active NBA player. He was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft. Edey is known for his size and dominance on the court, making him a challenging opponent for other teams. He has received numerous awards and accolades throughout his college and NBA career, including being named the Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus National Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Zachry Cheyne Edey |
| Nickname | Big Man U |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Height | 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) |
| Weight | 305 lbs |
| Position | Center |
| Team | Purdue Boilermakers |
| Awards | Big Ten Player of the Week, Big Ten Player of the Year, Naismith College Player of the Year, National Player of the Year, Sporting News National Player of the Year, Consensus First-Team All-American, Big Ten Athlete of the Year |
| Notable Achievements | Led Purdue to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship game, Reached 1,000 career points and 100 career blocks, Scored 2,000 collegiate career points, Holds the Purdue career record for rebounds |
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What You'll Learn
Zach Edey is 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) tall
Edey is the tallest player in Big Ten history. He is also the tallest active NBA player. He was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus National Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024.
Edey's height makes him a dominating presence inside the paint and a challenge for opponents to defend. He is a unique and once-in-a-generation type of player, with his size and frame giving him a significant height advantage on the court.
Edey's height was not always an advantage. Growing up in Toronto, he played hockey and baseball and avoided basketball, despite his size. However, a growth spurt that took him from 6-4 to 6-10 by the end of middle school made him too tall for hockey, and baseball became too difficult. He eventually transitioned to basketball, where his height became a defining characteristic of his game.
Edey's height, combined with his agility and eye-hand coordination, caught the attention of Purdue's coaching staff. He became an integral part of the team, sharing playing time with fellow centre Trevion Williams and helping lead Purdue to numerous successes on the court.
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He is the tallest player in Big Ten history
Zach Edey, the Canadian professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA), is the tallest player in Big Ten history. Edey played college basketball for the Purdue Boilermakers, leading the team to the NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game in his final year.
Edey is listed at 7 feet 4 inches (2.24 m) tall, making him the tallest player in the history of the Big Ten Conference. This height also makes him the tallest active NBA player. In his freshman season at Purdue University, Edey's height already made him the tallest player in the Big Ten.
Edey's tremendous size has been a key factor in his success on the court. His height gives him a significant advantage over opponents, making him a dominating presence inside the paint and a challenge for other teams to defend. Edey's agility and coordination, unusual for someone of his stature, further contribute to his prowess as a player.
In addition to his height, Edey's motivation and skill have been instrumental in his rise to becoming one of the best players in Purdue history. He has received numerous accolades, including being named the Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus National Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024. Edey was also a consensus first-team All-American and the Big Ten Athlete of the Year across all men's sports in 2023.
Edey's success at Purdue and in the NBA demonstrates that height can be a valuable asset in basketball when combined with hard work, talent, and dedication to the sport.
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Edey is the third-tallest player in the country
Zach Edey, the Canadian professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA), is 7 feet 4 inches (2.24 m) tall. This makes him the third-tallest player in the country, tied with Naheem McLeod of Florida State and Matt Van Komen of Saint Mary's. Edey is the tallest player in Big Ten history, surpassing even his Purdue teammates, by two inches.
Edey's height has been a significant factor in his success as a basketball player. Growing up in Toronto, he initially played hockey and baseball but after a growth spurt that took him from 6-4 to 6-10 by the end of middle school, he found himself too tall for those sports. He then turned to basketball, a sport that people had been suggesting he play because of his size.
Edey's height, combined with his agility and eye-hand coordination, caught the attention of Purdue's coaching staff. They recognised that his size and skills would be a unique and dominant force in college basketball. And they were right. Edey has become one of the best players in Purdue's history, leading the team to the NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game in his final year.
Edey's tremendous size gives him a considerable height advantage on the court, making him a dominating presence inside the paint and a challenge for opponents to defend. His height, combined with his skill and motivation, has resulted in numerous awards and accolades, including being named the Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus National Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024.
While Edey is not the tallest player in Division I basketball, his height, combined with his talent and work ethic, have made him one of the most dominant players in the country. His unique combination of size, agility, and coordination has helped him excel in the sport and establish himself as a key player for both Purdue and the Memphis Grizzlies.
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He is the reigning National Player of the Year
Zach Edey, the 7-foot-4-inch (2.24 m) tall basketball player for Purdue, is the reigning National Player of the Year. Edey, a Canadian, is the first player in Purdue's history to reach 1000 career rebounds and the 11th to reach 100 career blocks. He is also the tallest player in Big Ten history.
Edey's journey to becoming a basketball player is an interesting one. Growing up in Toronto, he played hockey and baseball and avoided basketball because people told him he should play due to his size. However, after a growth spurt that took him from 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-10 by the end of middle school, he was too tall for hockey, and baseball became too difficult.
Edey's size and agility caught the eye of Steve Lutz, a member of Purdue's coaching staff, who showed Edey's baseball videos to coach Matt Painter. Painter was intrigued by Edey's eye-hand coordination, which is unusual for someone of his size.
During the 2022-23 season, Edey received numerous accolades, including Big Ten Player of the Week six times, tying the school record. He was also named the Big Ten Athlete of the Year across all men's sports and shared the honour with Caitlin Clark.
At the close of the season, Edey was named the Sporting News National Player of the Year and the consensus National Player of the Year. He opted out of the 2023 NBA draft to return to Purdue for his senior season. The following year, he was named the Naismith College Player of the Year for the second consecutive time, becoming the first player since Ralph Sampson in 1982 and 1983 to win the award back-to-back.
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Edey is the all-time leading scorer in Purdue history
Zach Edey, the 7-foot-4-inch-tall centre for the Purdue Boilermakers, is not only one of the tallest players in NCAA history but also one of the most dominant. On January 28, 2024, Edey became the sixth player in Big Ten Conference history to surpass 2,000 collegiate career points, joining the ranks of Purdue's all-time leading scorers.
Edey's journey to becoming a basketball star began in his hometown of Toronto, where he played hockey and baseball as a child. However, a growth spurt that took him from 6 feet 4 inches to 6 feet 10 inches by the end of middle school made him too tall for those sports. It was then that Edey turned to basketball, a sport that many had suggested he play due to his size.
Edey's size and agility caught the attention of Purdue's coaching staff, and he was soon recruited to play for the Boilermakers. In his freshman season, Edey made an immediate impact, averaging 8.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks in just 14 minutes per game. By his junior year, Edey had become one of the tallest players in the March Madness field, using his size to command the court and lead Purdue to the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship game.
During the 2022-23 season, Edey continued to excel, receiving Big Ten Player of the Week six times and tying the school record for most awards in a single season. He ended the season as the Big Ten Player of the Year and Sporting News National Player of the Year, adding to his growing list of accolades.
Edey's decision to return to Purdue for his senior season instead of entering the 2023 NBA draft paid off, as he continued to break records and cement his legacy as one of the greatest players in Purdue history.
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Frequently asked questions
Zach Edey, the big guy on the Purdue basketball team, is 7 feet 4 inches (2.24 m) tall.
Zach Edey weighs 305 pounds.
Zach Edey is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. He grew up in Toronto, playing hockey and baseball. After a growth spurt that took him to 6 feet 10 inches by the end of middle school, he switched to basketball.
Zach Edey is a dominant player in the paint, making his living in an era of position-less basketball. He commands the space he occupies and has a considerable height advantage on the court.
Zach Edey is the reigning National Player of the Year and the consensus first-team All-American. He is the all-time leading scorer in Purdue's history and has received numerous awards, including the Naismith College Player of the Year in 2024.
