The sustained rise of the Purdue Boilermakers’ Zach Edey in the NCAA tournament has drawn comparisons with Shaquille O’Neal. Amidst the excitement, the latter openly backed the 21-year-old while suggesting a hilarious nickname for him. Later, the college basketball star responded to ‘The Diesel’s antics, hilariously revealing his thoughts on the name.
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The situation circled the top-seed Boilermakers’ second-round clash in March Madness against Utah State Aggies. Following his 23 points, and 3 blocks against the eighth-seeded team, as per ESPN, the Canadian star reached greatness. As per OptaStats, his endeavors turned him into the first player since Shaq to register at least 20 points and 3 blocks in three consecutive games.
Zach Edey of @BoilerBall is the first player with three straight games with at least 20 points and three blocks in the NCAA Tournament since Shaquille O’Neal for LSU in the 1991 & 1992 tournaments. pic.twitter.com/LLC736Ri97
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) March 24, 2024
The achievement excited O’Neal as he showcased his fun-loving nature on Instagram. Applauding the youngster, the 4x champion wrote, “Way to dominate. I’m changing your name to Zachille O’Neal”, per Bleacher Report.
Shaq jokes about changing Zach Edey’s name because of their similar stats in the NCAA tournament
(via @SHAQ, h/t @OptaSTATS) pic.twitter.com/gWSv6BxTEi
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 24, 2024
The nickname caught the eyes of the NBA community before Edey eventually responded to it himself. During an interview with Bleacher Report, the Ontario-born revealed, “Like respect to him. He came before me. He has done everything that I want to do. If he calls me Zachille, then I mean, I’ll take it. I’m Zachille then,” he mentioned.
The mutual respect between the stars of two generations certainly serves as a heartwarming instance. It captured Shaq’s support toward the rising names while also capturing the new generation’s admiration for the icons of the sport. And given the development of Zach Edey at the moment, this is extremely unlikely to be the last time the 21-year-old and O’Neal interact publicly.
A glimpse into the rise of Zach Edey
The Boilermakers star has stunned the college basketball world with his numbers this season. The 2x College Player of the Year currently leads the circuit in several parameters as per NCAA.com. Featuring in 37 games, the 7ft 4″ center spearheads the tournament in points (926), field goals made (312), and free throws (301), per NCAA.com.
Additionally, the youngster has recently matched the double-double record of yet another NBA icon. His latest 40 points and 16 rebounds display against the Tennessee Volunteers, as per ESPN, marked his fifth consecutive game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds. It aided in him catching up to David Robinson‘s long-standing record, further showcasing Edey’s development.
Each of these instances adds volume to the exponential growth of the Bolimakers star. He has already led the team to the Final Four while establishing his status as a leading candidate in the NCAA circuit. This certainly sparks further interest in his talent with the 2024 NBA draft approaching fast.
