Shannon Sharpe, Skip Bayless and basketball world in total awe of Zach Edey’s monstrous NCAA title game
Zach Edey played like a man possessed at points against the Huskies.
The Purdue Boilermakers star showed exactly why he's the two-time National Player of the Year with an absolutely dominant display on both sides of the ball in the first half of the NCAA title game against UConn, before eventually losing 60-75 in the second half.
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Edey scored 11 straight points for Purdue and at one point in the first half had 14 of their 23 total points.
The Canadian also had back-to-back big time blocks and sports pundits and fans alike were in awe at his Herculean effort.
Skip Bayless tweeted: "Edey is playing POSSESSED. NBA scouts no doubt IMPRESSED."
Meanwhile, Shannon Sharpe posted: "Z. Edey asking 4 the barbecue platter with all the fixings."
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Fans were in agreement that Edey looked unstoppable during the first half.
"He’s playin damn good. Best I’ve seen him play all year," wrote one fan.
"People Said Edey can’t be in the league are crazy cause this man is too good," wrote another.
"yeah he is currently ballin' offensively & defensively sheesh!," a third added.
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Edey has been a menace at 'The Big Dance' this year.
The 7fter finished the Final Four against NC State with 20 points and 12 rebounds - a Big Ten-record 29th double-double for the 21-year-old center.
In doing so, he surpassed David Robinson and Larry Bird in an all-time NCAA Tournament record.
He now has the most consecutive 20 points, 10 rebounds games (6) in the NCAA Tournament over the past 50 years.
Against Tennessee in the Elite Eight, he scored a career-high 40 points and 16 rebounds in the Boilermakers' 72-66 win.
Edey and the Boilermakers faced a fellow No. 1 seed in the Huskies, who have their own 7ft star in Donovan Clingan.
However, in the first half it was Edey who was dominating the marquee match-up between the two giants.
But it was the Huskies who led at halftime, 36-30.
Edey had 16 points and five rebounds at the break while teammate Braden Smith had nine points.
UConn's scoring was much more evenly spread with Tristen Newton putting up 11 points, and Donovan Clingan, Cam Spencer and Hassan Diarra each having seven points.
Tensions were running high during the first 20 minutes of the contest with UConn head coach Dan Hurley hurling an NSFW tirade at referees and 'beefing' with Edey.
The Huskies came out strong in the second half and cruised to a 75-60 victory, securing their second successive national title.
Edey had a much quieter second period but still finished with 37 points and ten rebounds.
His 37 points are the third most points scored in an NCAA Men's basketball championship game - the most ever by a player on the losing team.
Edey ends his college career in defeat, and his attention will now turn to June's NBA Draft.
However, after watching him on Monday some think he's simply not cut out for the pros.
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