Purdue lost in the national championship against UConn but not due to a lack of effort from star big man Zach Edey.
Despite the loss, the two-time national collegiate player of the year finished with 37 points and 10 rebounds. During the game, however, Golden State’s Draymond Green had a tweet that accused Edey of quitting on his team in the second half.
According to Green, the game changed when Samson Johnson came in and started guarding Edey. It was at that point, per Green, Edey’s body language suggested he was “done” after a turnover.
Job Well Done 35! You did your job tonight. It was him that made Edey quit with about 19 mins to go in the 2nd half. There was a turnover and I saw Edey body language walking back. He was done. Now rewatch the game from that point on. #FreeGame
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) April 9, 2024
This, of course, is a ridiculously unfair accusation from Green.
Edey played better in the first half than he did in the second half but that wasn’t due to a lack of effort. UConn’s defense completely shut down Edey’s teammates and that made life far more difficult for the center.
As noted by Tommy Beer, meanwhile, Green has more ejections this season than double-doubles recorded. Green has had some absurdly early ejections that have clearly impacted the mood of his teammates.
By doing this, though, Green is immediately creating beef with a big man even before he steps foot in the NBA.
