Zach Edey Headlines 2024 Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Midseason 30

Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerFeatured Columnist IVFebruary 15, 2024

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Zach Edey is one step closer to a second straight Naismith College Player of the Year award.

The Purdue star is among the 30 players named to the Naismith midseason team, a list of semifinalists still in the running for the coveted honor. The Atlanta Tipoff Club will name four finalists before the winner is announced in March.

Naismith Men’s Midseason Team

Max Abmas, G, Texas Armando Bacot, F/C, North Carolina Johni Broome, F/C, Auburn Boo Buie, G, Northwestern Devin Carter, G, Providence L.J. Cryer, G, Houston RJ Davis, G, North Carolina Johnell Davis, G, Florida Atlantic Hunter Dickinson, C, Kansas Zach Edey, C, Purdue Kyle Filipowski, C, Duke PJ Hall, C, Clemson DaRon Holmes II, F, Dayton David Jones, F, Memphis Dalton Knecht, G, Tennessee Tyler Kolek, G, Marquette Jaedon LeDee, F, San Diego State Tamin Lipsey, G, Iowa State Caleb Love, G, Arizona Kevin McCullar Jr., G, Kansas Tristen Newton, G, UConn Antonio Reeves, G, Kentucky Baylor Scheierman, G, Creighton Mark Sears, G, Alabama Jamal Shead, G, Houston KJ Simpson, G, Colorado Braden Smith, G, Purdue Isaiah Stevens, G, Colorado State Wade Taylor IV, G, Texas A&M Tyson Walker, G Michigan StateThe men’s side hasn’t seen a repeat Naismith winner since Ralph Sampson in 1983, when he collected the last of his three trophies. That streak could finally come to an end because Edey is once again a strong favorite for every major individual award.

The 7’4″ center is averaging 23.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He’s also shooting 62.3 percent from the field, up slightly from 2022-23 (60.7).

Purdue’s success has boosted his candidacy. The Boilermakers are 22-2 and second in the polls behind UConn with wins over Tennessee, Marquette, Arizona, Alabama and Illinois.

Right now, the hierarchy of men’s basketball looks like Purdue and UConn in a group of their own and then everyone else. Being the best player on one of the best teams tends to get noticed when voters weigh in for the final time.

It’s tough to even home in on one clear challenger to Edey.

Hunter Dickinson has made an immediate impact at Kansas after transferring in from Michigan. He’s averaging a double-double (18.2 points and 10.8 rebounds). Kevin McCullar Jr., meanwhile, is leading the team in scoring (19.5 points) and second in assists (4.6).

The Jayhawks’ lackluster record in the Big 12 (7-5) so far isn’t helping their individual résumés, though.

The same can be said of RJ Davis and Armando Bacot, with North Carolina dropping three of its last five. From a statistical point of view, neither Davis (21.4 PTS, 3.5 AST, 1.3 STL) nor Bacot (14.2 PTS, 10.2 REB, 1.7 BLK) has a compelling case over Edey.

The inclusion of just one UConn player in the midseason team is a sign of the Huskies’ collective strength without leaning on one clear standout. They have five players averaging double figures in points, a slight contrast from their 2022-23 squad when Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins were shouldering heavier offensive loads.

If it isn’t done already, the Atlanta Tipoff Club can probably start engraving Edey’s name on the Naismith trophy.