"Didn’t deserve it", "Not surprised": College hoops fans have mixed reactions as Purdue star Zach Edey wins second Naismith Player of the Year award

Purdue center Zach Edey has won his second Naismith Player of the Year award, all while leading the Boilermakers on their "redemption season" this year. His team is facing UConn in the national title game tomorrow, and while a lot of people are eagerly anticipating their matchup, they`ve also reacted to Edey`s latest individual award.

The 7-foot-4 slotman winning the Naismith Player of the Year Award for the second consecutive time had sparked mixed reactions from folks online.

Here are some fan reactions from those who believed he was deserving of the recognition:

"Congrats Zach! Happy for you" One fan said.

"Congratulations Zach Edey, what a great story of talent, hard work and commitment. 💛🖤🚂" Another fan added.

Some believe he deserves it, while others aren't as supportive and believe otherwise.

"Let him & Dalton Knecht play 15 minutes full court." One user wrote.

Most notably, the player that several people believe deserved this year`s NPOY more than Edey was Tennessee sharpshooter Dalton Knecht. Folks were all in on the Vols when they met the Boilermakers in the Elite Eight, only for Tennessee to fall short in that round after building an early lead in the first half.

Knecht was among the four finalists to win the NPOY alongside Zach Edey. The list also included Houston`s Jamal Shead and UNC`s RJ Davis, but the towering center from Toronto beat out all of them and is the only one left standing in the NCAA Tournament.

Purdue takes on fellow top-seed UConn in the national championship game on April 8 at 9:20 PM ET. It now remains to be seen whether Zach Edey`s dominant play will be enough to power the Boilermakers to their first NCAA basketball title or whether the Huskies will beat them out to win their back-to-back championships.

Zach Edey`s 2024 season numbers at a glance

In his senior year at West Lafayette, Zach Edey has been by all means incredibly dominant for Purdue.

Edey led the nation in scoring (24.1 PPG) and is third overall in rebounds (12.2 RPG). But these numbers are hiding just how unstoppable he has looked in March Madness so far. The center is averaging 28 points, 15.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in five total NCAA Tournament games thus far.

This included a 40-point, 16-rebound performance in the Elite Eight against Dalton Knecht and Tennessee, and a 30-point, 21-rebound finish in the first round against Grambling State.