Can Purdue star Zach Edey make 3-pointers? The Athletic investigates

May 13, 2024

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Zach Edey, the most unique and dominant figure in this NCAA Tournament, needs 14 points and 27 rebounds to become the first player in NCAA history with 750 points, 450 rebounds, 50 blocks and 50 assists in a season.

Which is very impressive, of course.

But here at The Athletic, we need to know more. We need to dive deeper. We need to peel back the layers of the onion and get answers to the important questions nobody else dares to ask.

Namely, this: Can Edey hit a 3-point shot?

More to the point, if he took 10 uncontested college 3s, how many would he make?

In the name of Woodward and Bernstein and big-time investigative journalism, I went to Purdue’s practice in West Lafayette, Ind., on Monday and came here to Nationwide Arena on Thursday to get answers to this pressing question.

(Oh, sure, we could write your basic preview of Friday’s first-round game between the third-ranked and top-seeded Boilermakers and the No. 16-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson Lilliputians — sorry, Knights. But for all of FDU coach Tobin Anderson’s bravado — after Wednesday’s First Four victory over Texas Southern, he told his team, “The more I watch Purdue, the more I think we can beat them” — this remains a typical 1-16 mismatch, featuring the Edey-led Boilers and an FDU team whose tallest player is 6-6.)

To get answers, I started at the top — quite literally — with Edey. He has never attempted a 3-point shot in an organized game. He’ll mess around in practice (more on that later), but he’s a 73.6 percent free-throw shooter with a very nice, soft touch.

“I’d give myself four,” Edey said. “Do I get time to warm up?”

Of course.

“Yeah, four,” he said. “But I don’t need to, right? I can always get a better shot.”

How would Matt Painter react?

“If we were up 50, he’s probably be like, ‘OK,’ but if it was a close game, he’d be ticked. He’d probably pull me pretty quick.”

He smiled.

“I think it’s something I can definitely develop, if it’s needed,” Edey said. “I don’t know if it will be needed (at the NBA level) or not, but it’s something I’ve been working on a little. I’ve always been able to stretch the floor; there just hasn’t been any need for me to do that because I’m always surrounded by four shooters. I’m always in the paint. Our offense relies so heavily on me being a presence in the paint, if I’m out at the 3-point line, it messes up a lot of the things that we do.”

The NBA is filled now with 7-footers who can make 3s. Brook Lopez …

“Yeah, like, Lopez has to space the floor because they’ve got Giannis,” he said. “On this team, I’m the Giannis, and people space around me.”

GO DEEPER

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So what do his teammates and others around the team think?

“He’d make two or three,” the freshman guard said. “He shoots them in practice once in a while, and he’ll make them sometimes — two or three. He has really good form.”

How would Painter react?

“He’d tell Zach he needs to get 20 rebounds before he can take a 3,” Smith said.

“What did other people say?” the sophomore forward asked.

I’m not telling you.

“Yeah, that’s fair. Five or six. Is that pretty high?”

That’s high. That’s the highest I’ve heard.

“I’ve seen him shoot it. But he doesn’t really work on it. If he did, who knows? But he’s got really good form at the free-throw line.”

How would you react if Edey jacked one in a game — like, maybe Friday?

“I’d do a double take. Coach Paint would put his head in his hands.”

David Jenkins

“I’m not saying this to be biased,” the senior guard said, “but I’d say four or five; he’s got a really good shot. I’ve seen him. He’s usually on target. It’s funny, the beginning of the season, back in the summer, he would work a little on his 3 because Coach Paint wanted him to shoot it. Then (Edey) stopped working on it, and Coach … if you’re not working on something all the time, he’s not going to allow you to do it. I’ll just say, if he jacked one in a game, he’d better make it.”

Jenkins continued: “He’ll jack around and do some step-backs after practice, but I think if he actually got in the gym and worked on it, I think he could start making them. With all the spacing in the NBA, can you imagine if he could make that shot? At 7-4? He’d be a unicorn.”

Bobby Riddell

“I think he’d make five,” the former Purdue player and current radio analyst said. “Just love his free-throw stroke; he’s got a nice, high arc and good follow-through. I saw him shoot a couple of NBA 3s when we were out in Portland (earlier this year), and they weren’t going in. That’s a really long shot. I don’t think it’s something you do once or twice and get a handle on. But if he worked on it, especially the corner 3s, sure. But it’s hard now because his bread is buttered inside.”

“Does he get a warmup?”

Yes, he gets a warmup.

“Three or four,” the junior forward said. “It’s not something he works on, but with his touch and athletic ability, he’d make a couple. If we’re up 40 and he shoots one, it’s not the end of the world, but if it’s a tie game and he puts one up, he might be in a little bit of trouble.”

“I’ll say three,” the junior guard predicted. “Now, if you give him 10 hooks or free throws, he’ll make all 10. Threes? I don’t know.”

“I don’t know if the pressure would get to him in the moment, so I’ll give him five,” the junior guard said. “He’s got a smooth-looking shot, but I don’t want to give him more credit than that. If he shot it in a game, you’d want to watch Coach Paint’s reaction. Hopefully, that doesn’t come up, or if it does, it’s right at the end of the game and we’re up one.”

Painter

“Four or five. In a game, maybe two.”

How would you react if he hoisted one up during a game?

“How many points are we up? That’s a hypothetical. People ask, ‘Do you foul or don’t you?’ Well, how much time is left? Where’s the ball?”

OK, so how many points would you have to be up for you to be OK with a 3-point attempt?

“I wouldn’t encourage it,” Painter said. “No.”

“Two or three,” the freshman guard said. “If he’s warmed up.”

Edey said he works on his 3-point shooting on occasion …

“Work on it, or joke around and shoot (it)? It’s a mix of both. You can’t really tell sometimes. But he’s got the form, so I’ll give him two, maybe three.”

Our The Athletic investigation takes us here, on the court at Nationwide Arena for Thursday’s casual practice/shootaround, and Edey has spent most of the session working on his post moves and free throws, getting banged around by assistant coach Brandon Brantley.

There are just a few minutes left in practice and — what do you know? — there’s Edey standing roughly 25 feet from the basket, and he’s … SHOOTING 3s!

I don’t know if he’s doing this because I’ve been poking around the team asking my dumb questions about his long-range prowess or if he’s just in a 3-point-shooting mood, but I’m now going to get my answer.

Unofficially, Edey made 2-of-7 from well beyond the arc. There were two gorgeous swishes, a few rim-outs and one or two that didn’t have a prayer. When he knocked down his two shots, a smattering of Purdue fans cheered wildly.

Edey smiled broadly.

Zach Edey smiles after the crowd cheers when he hits a three. pic.twitter.com/vL5CL4okox

— Kelly Hallinan (@kellyhals) March 16, 2023

Investigation complete.

I fully expect to get some Pulitzer consideration.

(Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty Images)

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