Purdue's Zach Edey selected Big Ten Player of the Year; Braden Smith named to All-Freshman Team
WEST LAFAYETTE – From the start of the Big Ten season to the end, Zach Edey demonstrated he was the league’s top player.
On Tuesday, Purdue’s 7-foot-4 junior center was rewarded for his season, earning Big Ten Player of the Year honors from a panel of media and coaches. Edey guided the Boilermakers to the regular-season championship and the No. 1 seed in this weekend’s Big Ten tournament in Chicago. Edey was also named to the league’s all-defensive team.
Point guard Braden Smith was named to the All-Freshman team by the coaches after averaging 10.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Freshman Fletcher Loyer earned honorable mention honors.
Other first-team members: Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis (coaches and media); Iowa’s Kris Murray (coaches and media), Penn State’s Jalen Pickett (coaches and media); Illinois’ Terrance Shannon (coaches); Northwestern’s Boo Buie (media) and Michigan’s Hunter Dickinson (media).
Northwestern’s Chris Collins was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Earning Big Ten Player of the Year is just the start of the awards headed Edey’s way. Also on Tuesday, Edey was named a first-team All-American by the Sporting News, one of the four organizations used for consensus status.
His numbers and accomplishments have been impressive this season:
• Becomes the fifth Boilermaker to be named the league’s player of the year
• Averaged 21.9 points, 13.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks while shooting over 59.1% from the field and 72.7% percent from the free throw line in 20 league games.
• Ranks ninth nationally in scoring and second in rebounds.
• His 23 double-doubles are tied for the most in the nation with Joel Soriano from St. John’s.
• Is the third Purdue player – and seventh overall since 1959 – to lead the Big Ten in scoring and rebounding, joining Caleb Swanigan (2017) and Glenn Robinson (1994)
• One of two Big Ten players in the last 30 years (Michigan’s Chris Webber) to total at least 600 points, 350 rebounds and 50 blocked shots
• His nine games of 25 points and 10 rebounds are the most for a major college player since the 2006-07 season behind Luke Harangody, Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant.
• He’s on pace to become the first Big Ten player in over 50 years to average 22.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game in a season.
• Leads the Big Ten in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage and is on pace to become the second player in Big Ten history and the first since Ohio State’s Gary Bradds in 1963-64 to lead the league in all three categories.
Edey is expected to be named All-American by the AP, the USBWA and NABC and would become the program’s fourth consensus All-American in the last seven years, joining Swanigan (2017), Carsen Edwards (2019) and Jaden Ivey (2022).
BIG TEN AWARDS
COACHES
FIRST TEAM
Terrence Shannon, Jr. (Illinois)
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS (Indiana)
Kris Murray (Iowa)
Jalen Pickett (Penn State)
ZACH EDEY (Purdue)
SECOND TEAM
Chase Audige (Northwestern)
Boo Buie (Northwestern)
Hunter Dickinson (Michigan)
Derrick Walker (Nebraska)
Tyson Walker (Michigan State)
Jahmir Young (Maryland)
THIRD TEAM
Kobe Bufkin (Michigan)
Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)
Jett Howard (Michigan)
Matthew Mayer (Illinois)
Clifford Omoruyi (Rutgers)
HONORABLE MENTION
Andrew Funk (Penn State)
Dawson Garcia (Minnesota)
Hakim Hart (Maryland)
Joey Hauser (Michigan State)
Chucky Hepburn (Wisconsin)
A.J. Hoggard (Michigan State)
Zed Key (Ohio State)
Fletcher Loyer (Purdue)
Seth Lundy (Penn State)
Connor McCaffery (Iowa)
Caleb McConnell (Rutgers)
Paul Mulcahy (Rutgers)
Tony Perkins (Iowa)
Filip Rebraca (Iowa)
Julian Reese (Maryland)
Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State)
Donta Scott (Maryland)
Braden Smith (Purdue)
Cam Spencer (Rutgers)
Justice Sueing (Ohio State)
Keisei Tominaga (Nebraska)
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)
Jett Howard (Michigan)
Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State)
Braden Smith (Purdue)
Connor Essegian (Wisconsin)
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Chase Audige (Northwestern)
Zach Edey (Purdue)
Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)
Caleb McConnell (Rutgers)
Clifford Omoruyi (Rutgers)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Zach Edey (Purdue)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Chase Audige (Northwestern) & Caleb McConnell (Rutgers)
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: Payton Sandfort (Iowa)
COACH OF THE YEAR: Chris Collins (Northwestern)
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)
HOWARD MOORE ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR: Chris Lowery (Northwestern)
SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES
Matthew Mayer (Illinois)
Miller Kopp (Indiana)
Patrick McCaffery (Iowa)
Patrick Emilien (Maryland)
Joey Baker (Michigan)
Jaden Akins (Michigan State)
Ta’lon Cooper (Minnesota)
Robbie Beran (Northwestern)
Sam Griesel (Nebraska)
Sean McNeil (Ohio State)
Camren Wynter (Penn State)
Matt Frost (Purdue)
Mawot Mag (Rutgers)
Isaac Lindsey (Wisconsin)
MEDIA
FIRST TEAM
Boo Buie (Northwestern)
Hunter Dickinson (Michigan)
ZACH EDEY (Purdue)
TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS (Indiana)
KRIS MURRAY (Iowa)
JALEN PICKETT (Penn State)
SECOND TEAM
Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)
Clifford Omoruyi (Rutgers)
Terrence Shannon, Jr. (Illinois)
Tyson Walker (Michigan State)
Jahmir Young (Maryland)
THIRD TEAM
Chase Audige (Northwestern)
A.J. Hoggard (Michigan State)
Matthew Mayer (Illinois)
Filip Rebraca (Iowa)
Brice Sensabaugh (Ohio State)
HONORABLE MENTION
Kobe Bufkin (Michigan)
Andrew Funk (Penn State)
Dawson Garcia (Minnesota)
Hakim Hart (Maryland)
Joey Hauser (Michigan State)
Chucky Hepburn (Wisconsin)
Jeff Howard (Michigan)
Fletcher Loyer (Purdue)
Seth Lundy (Penn State)
Connor McCaffery (Iowa)
Caleb McConnell (Rutgers)
Paul Mulcahy (Rutgers)
Tony Perkins (Iowa)
Julian Reese (Maryland)
Braden Smith (Purdue)
Cam Spencer (Rutgers)
Keisei Tominaga (Nebraska)
Derrick Walker (Nebraska)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Zach Edey (Purdue)
COACH OF THE YEAR: Chris Collins (Northwestern)
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Jalen Hood-Schifino (Indiana)
