Basketball is an international sport. The game is played all over the world, with stars coming to the United States from Europe, Australia, Africa and Asia to play at the highest level.
It’s no different in the NCAA. While a majority of college athletes hail from the U.S., there is also an influx of international players as well, including those from Canada. A number of current NBA stars who played college hoops hail from the Great White North, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett, Kelly Olynyk and Dillon Brooks.
The latest Canadian to dominate in the NCAA has been in the headlines the last two college basketball seasons — Purdue’s Zach Edey. The monstrous 7-4 center for the Boilermakers has made a name for himself in the NCAA, helping Purdue to the top of the college hoops rankings.
Edey and the Boilermakers have a chance at bringing the first national championship back to Indiana in 2024. Purdue has a date with NC State in the Final Four of March Madness, and a win would pit the team against the victor of Alabama and UConn. If this Boilermakers team wants to make history, it is going to do it on the back of Edey.
MORE: What Zach Edey, DJ Burn Jr. said about each other ahead of Final Four
Here is what to know about Edey’s background, hometown and more.
Edey grew up north of the border, as the Purdue star hails from Toronto, Canada.
Growing up, the big man participated in multiple sports. Edey played baseball and, as a Canadian, he also grew up playing hockey. While his height caused him to drop hockey at an early age, Edey competed on the diamond until he was a teenager.
The first two years of high school, Edey attended Leaside High School in Toronto, playing for the Lancers’ basketball program.
In 2018, Edey went from the chilly Toronto north to the sunny Florida south, enrolling at the prestigious IMG Academy in Bradenton. In his first year at IMG, he played for their second-tier squad. As a senior, Edey received a promotion to the school’s national team, where he was touted as a three-star recruit.
Edey received interest from Purdue, Baylor and Western Kentucky before electing to join Matt Painter’s Boilermakers program ahead of the 2020-21 season.
MORE: How Zach Edey’s measurements compare to Victor Wembanyama
