Purdue Boilermakers star Zach Eady clapped back at those who doubted he would graduate from high school, including current Tennessee coach Rick Barnes, after his team’s Elite Eight victory.
Eady scored 40 points against the Volantes and helped Purdue reach its first Final Four since 1980. When the 7-foot-4 center moved up to the college ranks, he had an “I told you so” moment with the players passing him.
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Purdue center Zach Eady tries for a basket during the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight game against Tennessee on Sunday, March 31, 2024 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancia)
“I had a lot of coaches watching over me,” Eadie said. “You can name a program, but I can name a coach who watched over me. Tennessee – Rick Barnes is a great coach. He came to practice many times and watched over me.
“This is like the story of my life. People doubted me, people ignored me. I can’t do that anymore.”
Eady proved the doubters wrong, especially after being on a team that lost to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson last year. A lot has changed since then.
Purdue University center Zach Eady holds up the NCAA Regional Championship trophy after the Elite Eight game against Tennessee on Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancia)
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This season, he is averaging 25 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. He is a top candidate for the Naismith Award, given to the top player in college basketball. If he wins, he will be the first to win consecutive races since Ralph Sampson won three in a row from 1981 to 1983.
Coach Matt Painter, fresh off the joke of last year’s loss to Fairleigh Dickinson, took an optimistic approach.
“We had to accept it,” Painter said. “Sometimes when you sit there and be honest with yourself and accept it, great things happen.”
Purdue head coach Matt Painter waves to fans after cutting down the net after the Elite Eight game against Tennessee on Sunday, March 31, 2024 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancia)
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Next, Purdue will try to end the Cinderella story of No. 11 North Carolina. The Wolfpack shocked Duke in an Elite Eight matchup.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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