In case you didn't know, Zach Edey is very tall.
The Purdue men's basketball team is looking to bounce back this season after the Boilermakers, a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, were upset by a No. 16 seed. They're off to a 1-0 start after their victory Monday over Samford, a team that was clearly lacking height against the Boilermakers and center Zach Edey.
Look at this tipoff between Edey and Samford guard Dallas Graziani:
It was going to be A STRETCH for Samford! But @zach_edey wins the tip for @BoilerBall against @SamfordMBB ? ? pic.twitter.com/2qyQeEzUEl
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 6, 2023
For context, Edey is 7-foot-4. He's a big man among all big men.
And in this tipoff against Graziani, he had quite the advantage, as Graziani is just 5-foot-8.
Looking down the Samford roster, the tallest player appears to be Zach Loveday at 7 feet.
Here's an alternate look at the tipoff.
https://t.co/Pf523oTEjg pic.twitter.com/3xqKHPjxep
— Andrew Stein (@purduestein) November 7, 2023
The Boilermakers, who start the season as the No. 3 team in the country, won 98-45.
Edey had 16 points, 11 rebounds and two assists in just 20 minutes of play. Graziani had four points, two assists and one rebound in just 21 minutes of play.
Here's what fans on X had to say about the tipoff "battle."
Honestly, it's kinda cruel that Edey even jumped for the ball ? https://t.co/EqteDF3nwn
— Juan More Tweet ?? (@Air_Force_Juan) November 7, 2023
"Honestly, it's kinda cruel that Edey even jumped for the ball," one user wrote.
He didn?t even jump?!?!? Wtf was that. Shaved his head for the occasion too and DIDN?T EVEN JUMP!! I?ve lost all respect for Samford, I was so hype for that following their massive marketing campaign. Obliterate them, beat em by 100 https://t.co/WkqDWIC3XE
— Corey O'Donnell? (@CoreysStories23) November 6, 2023
"He didn't even jump?!?!? Wtf was that. Shaved his head for the occasion too and DIDN'T EVEN JUMP!! I've lost all respect for Samford, I was so hype for that following their massive marketing campaign. Obliterate them, beat em by 100," another user wrote (perhaps trolling?).
Before the game, Samford released a video with head coach Bucky McMillan.
Heart over height ?#BuckyBall | #AlllForSAMford pic.twitter.com/694EiPJvYr
— Samford Men's Basketball (@SamfordMBB) October 31, 2023
"Every game's gonna start with a jump ball," McMillan said. "Some say to win that jump ball, you gotta have height. I disagree. It's not about height, it's about heart. When we take on the Purdue Boilermakers at 5:30 on West Lafayette, we're playing against 7-4 All-American candidate Zach Edey. Some say 7-4, some say 7-10. We got a secret weapon for that jump ball. His name's Dallas Graziani."
The video was hilarious and comedic. It's safe to say McMillan's expectations for his program weren't exactly sky-high for this one, so they had some fun with it.
The Boilermakers take on Morehead State next on Friday.
