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Zach Edey vs. DJ Burns: Final Four matchup of big men ignites college basketball world

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

DJ Burns and Zach Edey have taken the NCAA Tournament by storm with some exciting play in the low post. However, just one of those big men will be able to play for a national title.

On Sunday, the two centers guided NC State and Purdue into the Final Four with wins over Duke and Tennessee, respectively. Burns and Edey each played the role of catalyst in their wins, and now they will face one another in the Final Four.

Burns averaged 13 points per game this season while shooting 53.5% but he has elevated his play in the postseason. He’s averaging 18.25 points in 4 NCAA Tournament games while shooting 67% from the field while delivering 29 points in the win over Duke.

Meanwhile, Edey has 23+ points and 14+ rebounds in every tournament game so far. He has a pair of games with 30+ points and 15+ rebounds, including a 30-20 game and a new career-high of 40 points in the win over the Vols.

Needless to say, the college basketball world is amped up for that showdown of old-school big men. Some had a humorous reaction to the matchup with contrasting body styles involved, but it’s bound to be a matchup to remember in Phoenix.

Here’s how fans and media alike reacted to the upcoming matchup:

Numbers to know

Edey has quickly become a polarizing topic among basketball fans with many left questioning the way in which Purdue’s big man is officiated. He is averaging 11.5 free-throw attempts per game (and shooting 71% from the line this season), and he has 10+ free-throw attempts in all but 1 NCAA Tournament game this season. By contrast, Edey averages just under 2 fouls per game and has not been called for 4 fouls in a game since February.

On the other side of the matchup, Burns attempts just 2.4 free throws per game, and foul trouble has been an issue in March Madness. He has 3 fouls in every tournament game save for the win over Oakland, and he was fortunate to avoid getting a 4th foul while playing an extensive stretch against Duke with 3 fouls.

Through that lens, it’s no surprise ESPN Bet has the Boilermakers at -8.5 for the game, and a point total of 145.5 points has been established. FanDuel also has Edey at +210 to be the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, tied with UConn’s Donovan Clingan for the best odds in that regard.

No matter what, it’s going to be a matchup fans will not want to miss Saturday night!

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.