Musings as Purdue prepares for its Final Four appearance

On Matt Painter and Gene Keady, on Zach Edey and Braden Smith and all things (well, some things) Boilers.

Musings on Purdue’s run to the Final Four:

“We’re fucking winners. It’s what we do.” – Zach Edey during the post-game TV interview with Evan Washburn

We’re seeing the angry side of Zach Edey now, and ain’t it grand? For the better part of his time in West Lafayette, he’s been a gentle giant, a thoughtful soul who had the idea to cut down a piece of net for the Purdue basketball patriarch, Gene Keady, saying this after the regional final victory over Tennessee:

“You’ve always got to pay respect to those that came first. He built this. It doesn’t go over our heads. He helped set this all up. To be able to pay him back and give him a little piece of net, it’s the least I can do.”

But when you get athletes fresh from the court or the playing field, the adrenaline and the emotions are flowing freely, and after a full year of hearing how Purdue was a bunch of choking dogs who couldn’t perform in March, it all came spilling out.

We’re fucking winners.

I can somewhat understand Edey’s simmering anger.

It’s not just the Purdue history. His whole life, he’s stood out, whether he wanted to or not. He’s freakishly tall, half-Asian to boot, someone who has always been given the side-eye. It’s hard to belong when you stand out so dramatically. And then to get beat by FDU and listen to the criticisms and doubt all season, it’s little wonder the redemptive arc of the Purdue story is so inspiring, and why it’s brought out the anger in Edey.

He's taking this personally, and when a 7-4, 300-pound colossus is taking stuff personally, look out below.

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