Purdue’s Matt Painter defends Zach Edey against’moronic’ critics after the win.
Purdue men’s basketball coach Matt Painter calls it “moronic” to imply that center Zach Edey led the Boilermakers to the Sweet 16 primarily because of his height.
Edey, who is 7 feet 4, led the Boilermakers with 23 points and 14 rebounds as No. 1 Purdue defeated No. 8 Utah State in the 2024 NCAA tournament’s second round on Sunday.
“They just shouldn’t cover basketball,” Painter said of detractors who believe Edey is “just tall” after the win.
“I just think everybody should take a test on their knowledge of what they’re doing,” he said. “I believe that all coaches should take a test to ensure that they understand refereeing. I believe all referees should be tested to ensure they understand coaching. And I believe that all journalists should be required to take a basketball quiz or test.
“Anyone who tweets should be able to do so. If they say something as stupid as that, they should be placed on probation and banned from Tweeting for three months. I believe it will improve society. Just attempt to get rid of the fools so they don’t have to gather at the local Walmart and say things that make no sense.”
The big man also led Purdue in scoring during the team’s first-round triumph over Grambling on Friday, scoring 30 points and grabbing 21 rebounds to prevent a repetition of last season’s shock.
Debates about the cause of Edey’s achievement are unlikely to be as important to Purdue as the final score. Purdue will now meet No. 5 Gonzaga on Friday, looking to move to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019.
