HOUSTON (USBWA) – Purdue center Zach Edey was a consistent force at both ends of the floor this season for the Boilermakers as just the second player in Big Ten history and the first player in 14 seasons to lead his conference in scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage. For his superior play, the Big Ten Player of the Year was selected as the 2022-23 Oscar Robertson Trophy winner as the USBWA National Player of the Year.
Edey is the second Purdue player to win the Oscar Robertson Trophy along with Glenn Robinson from the 1993-94 season and gives the Big Ten two of the last three winners (Iowa center Luka Garza in 2020-21). The first-team All-America selection by the USBWA is the 10th Big Ten player to earn the award going back to two-time winner Jerry Lucas of Ohio State in the 1960-61 and 1961-62 seasons, the two seasons following Oscar Robertson’s consecutive National Player of the Year honors at Cincinnati when the award began in 1959.
The announcement came today at a press conference at NRG Stadium in Houston, site of the men’s Final Four. Edey will formally receive the award at the upcoming USBWA College Basketball Awards Banquet on April 12 in St. Louis hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club along with Henry Iba Award winner, Shaka Smart of Marquette, and Wayman Tisdale Award winner Brandon Miller of Alabama as the National Freshman Player of the Year. The Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (going to Iowa’s Caitlin Clark), the Tamika Catchings Award (Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson) and the USBWA Women’s National Coach of Year (South Carolina’s Dawn Staley) will be presented there as well among others.
Edey averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists per game for Purdue (29-6), which won the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Edey is the first player in NCAA history (since blocks became an official NCAA stat) to record at least 750 points, 400 rebounds, 70 blocks and 50 assists in a season, ranking sixth nationally in scoring, second in rebounds, 19th in blocked shots and 21st in field goal percentage (.607).
He’s the only player in the NCAA database to rank in the top 25 of all four categories in the same season.
Edey finished the season with one more rebound – 438 to 437 – than last year's Oscar Robertson Trophy winner, Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe, to be the nation’s leader in total rebounds (Edey played in two more games than Tshiebwe). The 438 rebounds are the fourth-best total by a player in Big Ten history behind Ohio State’s Hall of Fame great Jerry Lucas (1960-62) and are the most in a single season at Purdue.
His 27 double-doubles also led the country and he has scored in double-figures in 51 straight games, the longest streak in the country and fourth-longest streak in school history. Edey finished the year with eight games of at least 30 points and 10 rebounds – the most for a major-college player in the last 20 years – and his 11 games of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds are the most for a Big Ten player in the last 20 years.
Edey is Purdue’s first player to earn first-team All-America selection since Caleb Swanigan in the 2016-17 season and gives Purdue consecutive All-Americans (guard Jaden Ivey was on the second team last year) for the first time since former forward Glenn Robinson’s consecutive All-America honors in the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons. His is Purdue’s fifth player to be named Big Ten Player of the Year.
On Friday, Iowa guard Caitlin Clark was named the winner of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award as the USBWA’s women's national player of year, which marks just the fourth time both national players of the year have come from the same conference. It’s the first time for both award winners to come from the Big Ten.
Edey is the first Canadian native to win the Oscar Robertson Trophy and is the second consecutive to hail from outside the United States (last season’s winner, Kentucky forward Oscar Tshiebwe, is from Lububaski, Congo). Going farther back, three of the last eight have been non-U.S. natives adding Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield in 2015-16 who hailed from Freeport, Bahamas. In all, five winners have hailed from outside the U.S.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
ALL-TIME USBWA MEN'S NATIONAL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
OSCAR ROBERTSON TROPHY
2022-23 Zach Edey, Purdue: C, 7-4, 305, Jr., Toronto, Ont.
2021-22 Oscar Tshiebwe, Kentucky: F, 6-9, 255, Jr., Lubumbashi, Congo
2020-21 Luka Garza, Iowa: C, 6-11, 265, Sr., Washington, D.C.
2019-20 Obi Toppin, Dayton: F, 6-9, So., Brooklyn. N.Y.
2018-19 Zion Williamson, Duke: F, 6-7, Fr., Spartanburg, S.C.
2017-18 Jalen Brunson, Villanova: G, 6-3, Jr., Lincolnshire, Ill.
2016-17 Frank Mason III, Kansas: G, 5-11, Sr., Petersburg, Va.
2015-16 Buddy Hield, Oklahoma: G, 6-4, Sr., Freeport, Bahamas
2014-15 Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin: F, 7-0, Sr., Lisle, Ill.
2013-14 Doug McDermott, Creighton: F, 6-8, Sr., Ames, Iowa
2012-13 Trey Burke, Michigan: G, 6-0, So., Columbus, Ohio
2011-12 Anthony Davis, Kentucky: F, 6-10, Fr., Chicago, Ill.
2010-11 Jimmer Fredette, BYU: G, 6-2, Sr., Glens Falls, N.Y.
2009-10 Evan Turner, Ohio State: G/F, 6-7, Jr., Chicago, Ill.
2008-09 Blake Griffin, Oklahoma: F, 6-10, So., Oklahoma City, Okla.
2007-08 Tyler Hansbrough, N. Carolina: F, 6-10, Jr., Poplar Bluff, Mo.
2006-07 Kevin Durant, Texas: G/F, 6-9, Fr., Suitland, Md.
2005-06 Adam Morrison, Gonzaga: F, 6-8, Jr., Spokane, Wash. and J.J. Redick, Duke: G, 6-4, Sr., Roanoke, Va.
2004-05 Andrew Bogut, Utah: C/F, 7-0, So., Melbourne, Australia
2003-04 Jameer Nelson, St. Joseph’s: G, 6-0, Sr., Chester, Pa.
2002-03 David West, Xavier: F, 6-9, Sr., Garner, N.C.
2001-02 Jason Williams, Duke: G, 6-2, Jr., Plainfield, N.J.
2000-01 Shane Battier, Duke: F, 6-8, Sr., Birmingham, Mich.
1999-00 Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati: F, 6-9, Sr., Dallas, Texas
1998-99 Elton Brand, Duke: C, 6-8, So., Peekskill, N.Y.
1997-98 Antawn Jamison, North Carolina: F, 6-9, Jr., Charlotte, N.C.
USBWA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
1996-97 Tim Duncan, Wake Forest: C, 6-10, Sr., St. Croix, V.I.
1995-96 Marcus Camby, Massachusetts: C, 6-11, Jr., Hartford, Conn.
1994-95 Ed O’Bannon, UCLA: F, 6-8, Sr., Lakewood, Calif.
1993-94 Glenn Robinson, Purdue: F, 6-8, Jr., Gary, Ind.
1992-93 Calbert Cheaney, Indiana: F, 6-7, Sr., Evansville, Ind.
1991-92 Christian Laettner, Duke: F, 6-11, Sr., Angola, N.Y.
1990-91 Larry Johnson, UNLV: F, 6-7, Sr., Dallas, Texas
1989-90 Lionel Simmons, La Salle: F, 6-6, Sr., Philadelphia, Pa.
1988-89 Danny Ferry, Duke: F, 6-10, Sr., Bowie, Md.
1987-88 Hersey Hawkins, Bradley: G, 6-3, Sr., Chicago, Ill.
1986-87 David Robinson, Navy: C, 7-1, Sr., Woodbridge, Va.
1985-86 Walter Berry, St. John’s: F, 6-8, Jr., Bronx, N.Y.
1984-85 Chris Mullin, St. John’s: F, 6-6, Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.
1983-84 Michael Jordan, North Carolina: G, 6-5, Jr., Wilmington, N.C.
1982-83 Ralph Sampson, Virginia: C, 7-4, Sr., Harrisonburg, Va.
1981-82 Ralph Sampson, Virginia: C, 7-4, Jr., Harrisonburg, Va.
1980-81 Ralph Sampson, Virginia: C, 7-4, So., Harrisonburg, Va.
1979-80 Mark Aguirre, DePaul: F, 6-7, Jr., Chicago, Ill.
1978-79 Larry Bird, Indiana State: F, 6-9, Sr., French Lick, Ind.
1977-78 Phil Ford, North Carolina: G, 6-2, Sr., Rocky Mount, N.C.
1976-77 Marques Johnson, UCLA: F, 6-7, Sr., Los Angeles, Calif.
1975-76 Adrian Dantley, Notre Dame: F, 6-5, Jr., Washington, D.C.
1974-75 David Thompson, N.C. State: G/F, 6-4, Sr., Shelby, N.C.
1973-74 Bill Walton, UCLA: C, 6-11, Sr., La Mesa, Calif.
1972-73 Bill Walton, UCLA: C, 6-11, Jr., La Mesa, Calif.
1971-72 Bill Walton, UCLA: C, 6-11, So., La Mesa, Calif.
1970-71 Sidney Wicks, UCLA: F, 6-8, Sr., Los Angeles, Calif.
1969-70 Pete Maravich, LSU: G/F, 6-5, Sr., Raleigh, N.C.
1968-69 Pete Maravich, LSU: G/F, 6-5, Jr., Raleigh, N.C.
1967-68 Lew Alcindor, UCLA: C, 7-2, Jr., New York, N.Y.
1966-67 Lew Alcindor, UCLA: C, 7-2, So., New York, N.Y.
1965-66 Cazzie Russell, Michigan: F, 6-5, Sr., Chicago, Ill.
1964-65 Bill Bradley, Princeton: F, 6-5, Sr., Crystal City, Mo.
1963-64 Walt Hazzard, UCLA: G, 6-2, Sr., Philadelphia, Pa.
1962-63 Art Heyman, Duke: F, 6-5, Sr., Rockville Center, N.Y.
1961-62 Jerry Lucas, Ohio State: F/C, 6-8, Sr., Middletown, Ohio
1960-61 Jerry Lucas, Ohio State: F/C, 6-8, Jr., Middletown, Ohio
1959-60 Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati: G, 6-5, Sr., Indianapolis, Ind.
1958-59 Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati: G, 6-5, Jr., Indianapolis, Ind.