Purdue coach Matt Painter slams critics who claim 7ft 4ins star center Zach Edey ‘is just tall’ after March Madness win against Utah State: ‘They shouldn’t cover basketball’

Purdue head coach Matt Painter criticized critics of star center Zach Edey, stating that they “shouldn’t cover basketball” after the team’s second-round win against Utah State.

The 53-year-old painter, who is in his 19th season in charge of the Boilermakers, was asked by a university for his opinion on the “people who cover the game,” saying that Edey, who is 7-foot-4, “is just tall.” . basketball reporter after Sunday’s 106-67 victory in Indianapolis.

‘What would you say to people who say that, who only pay attention to size…?’ —the journalist continued.

Deadpan before answering the question, Painter said, “Yeah…they just shouldn’t cover basketball,” as others at the press conference proceeded to laugh at the press conference.

“Yeah, you know…” Painter added after nodding his head in front of reporters: “And so, you go to school and you learn things or whatever, but not all of us like all the classes in the schools. What are we doing, okay?

Edey, a 7-foot-4 center for the Boilermakers, had 23 points and 14 rebounds against Utah State.

‘It’s a kind of unnecessary evil. It’s like going to work…

‘Like you don’t like everyone you work with, or you don’t like certain parts of your job and, you know, it’s hard, right? You have to be able to deal with certain things that are difficult, so I think everyone should take tests of their knowledge of what they are doing.

“I think all coaches should take tests to understand refereeing. And I think all referees should take a test to understand how to coach. And I think all journalists should have to take a quiz or a basketball test, or whatever.” tweet… you should be able to.

Edey has three career games with 30 points and 20 rebounds since joining Purdue in 2020.

‘If they say something stupid like that, then they should have a probationary status where they can’t tweet for about three months. I think it will help society, you know? I’m just trying to knock out the fools, you know, so they don’t have to gather at the local Walmart and say things that don’t make any sense.’

Edey, who has three career games with 30 points and 20 rebounds in as many seasons at Purdue (the most by any Div. I player this century), scored 23 points and had 14 rebounds against Utah State on Sunday .

He was seen high-fiving in the air in a first-round matchup against Grambling State, as he had no teammates around him on a technical foul shot.

The No. 1-seeded Purdue Boilermakers will face the No. 5 Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on March 29. The game’s location has yet to be determined.