"Edey is a DAWG": Pat McAfee heaps praise on Purdue star Zach Edey after Boilermakers reach Final Four for first time in over four decades

Zach Edey led No. 1-seeded Purdue to a 72-66 win over No. 2-seeded Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight on Sunday. The Boilermakers' marquee player posted a career-high 40 points along with 16 rebounds to propel his team to the Midwest Region championship and into the Final Four.

ESPN "College GameDay" analyst Pat McAfee praised Edey on X:

"They Purdid it. Purdue’s headed to the Final Four for the first time in damn near half a century. Edey’s a DAWG"

This is only the third time that Purdue (33-4) has reached the Final Four and the first time since 1980.

After the final whistle, Purdue coach Matt Painter spoke about how Edey inspired the team to victory:

"It sure helped when Zach (Edey) came back. All these guys have played so hard, worked on their game and put a lot of time into it. And we had to sit in it. We had to take it. Sometimes when you sit in it, and you're honest with yourselves and you take it, some great things can happen."

The Boilermakers now have a good chance of going all the way and winning the NCAA Tournament, especially with Edey firing on all cylinders. Purdue has never won the national championship but was a runner-up in 1969.

Who will Zach Edey's Purdue face in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament?

Zach Edey's Purdue will face the South Region winner between that region's No. 4 seed, Duke, and No. 11 seed NC State in the Final Four in Glendale, Arizona. The Boilermakers will play their national semifinal on Saturday.

Purdue crashed out of the Big Ten Tournament in the second round but has compiled a strong run in March Madness. The Boilermakers took down Grambling State, Utah and Gonzaga in their opening three rounds of the NCAA Tournament before beating Tennessee in the Elite Eight.