Top 10 Purdue men's college basketball players of all time ft. Zach Edey

Purdue has a long and glorious basketball history, witnessing numerous legends and two No. 1 NBA Draft picks, but among the numerous teams, Purdue's current squad might be its best.

With 15 players recognized as consensus All-Americans, 94 first-team All-Big Ten selections, and 11 NBA first-round picks, it's a bold claim. Nonetheless, here's a breakdown of the standout Purdue players to date:

Top 10 Purdue college basketball players of all-time

E'Twaun Moore, shown here leaping high, was an underrated Boilermaker hoops legend.

10. E'twaun Moore, 2007-11

Moore put in four seasons as a big-time scorer at Purdue. His career total of 2,136 points is fourth in school history. His 243 3-point baskets were a program record and is still third best. Moore earned two All-Big Ten selections and was a steady rock in West Lafayette. He's probably underrated now, but Moore could always get points.

9. Charlie "Stretch" Murphy, 1926-30

Murphy was a 6 ft. 6 string bean who weighed about 185 pounds but dominated his era. Murphy teamed with John Wooden for much of his career. His 11.9 ppg in conference play his junior season was then a Big Ten record. Murphy was a two-time consensus All-American and helped the Boilermakers win the 1930 Big Ten title.

8. Jewell Young, 1935-38

Admittedly, it's hard to know how good a player was when he played almost 90 years ago. But Young drew a pair of All-American citations and was generally acknowledged as one of the best-scoring forwards of his era. Young scored 14.3 ppg as a junior and 15.3 ppg as a senior.

7. Carsen Edwards, 2016-19

Edwards was a two-time consensus All-American and had three phenomenal years as a Boilermaker. His 1,920 points, which are the 8th most in PU history, led him to stardom. As a junior, he scored 24.3 ppg, which led the Big Ten, and was ninth in all of college basketball. His 281 3-pointers made is still comfortably ahead of the rest of all other Boilermakers.

6. Rick Mount, 1967-70

One of the greatest shooters in basketball history, Mount led Purdue to the 1969 NCAA finals. A two-time consensus All-American, the 6-foot-4 forward was noted for his pure jump shot. Mount scored 2,323 points in three seasons, setting a PU scoring record that lasted until 2024. A solid pro in the ABA, Mount was a scoring machine as a Boilermaker.

5. Terry Dischinger, 1959-62

A two-time consensus All-American, Dischinger put up an astonishing 1,979 points in three seasons with Purdue. He's still seventh on the school's scoring list and third on the rebound list with 958. An undersized 6 ft. 7 center in college, Dischinger had an excellent NBA career as well. His spot as a Boilermaker great is safe.

4. Glenn Robinson, 1992-94

Glenn Robinson was a Boilermaker for just two seasons before he went first in the 1994 NBA Draft. The 1994 National Player of the Year, Robinson averaged 30.3 ppg that season. For his career at PU, he scored 1,706 points and grabbed 602 rebounds in just 62 games. Few could compete with the man called "The Big Dog."

3. John Wooden, 1929-32

Yes, that John Wooden. And yes, he was perhaps as good of a player as he was a coach. A 5-foot-10 guard, Wooden was a three-time All-American selection at Purdue. Wooden scorer 12.2 ppg in 1932, leading the Boilermakers to a pre-NCAA Tournament championship claim. While time made him famous as a coach, those who remember him as a player weren't shy about remembering him as great.

2. Joe Barry Carroll, 1976-80

Carroll took Purdue to a Final Four and before Zach Edey came along, owned much of PU's record book. He's still the Boilermakers' No. 3 scorer (2,179 points), second-best rebounder (1,148 boards) and leading shot-blocker (349 blocks). The 7-foot Carroll was particularly explosive in 1980 when he was a consensus All-American.

1. Zach Edey, 2020-24

Possible recency bias aside, Edey is the best Purdue player ever. He's the school's leading scorer with 2,459 points. He's the top rebounder with 1,299 boards. He's fourth all-time in blocked shots with 228. He's also a two-time All-American, and will likely be a two-time Naismith Award winner.

He's led the Boilermakers to just their third-ever Final Four. Obviously, an NCAA title would be the capstone achievement for Edey. But given his incredible run of the past two seasons, he's already the best PU player ever. And he's not finished.

If Edey and the Boilermakers win a title, could the big man be the best college basketball player of the 21st century? Few could compete with his resume.