March Madness: Watch the hilarious moment Purdue’s Zach Edey high fives air after technical free throws in Boilermakers’ first-round thumping of Grambling State
- The star center made history on Friday when he scored an impressive double-double
- High fives after free throws are considered a psychological tool to build self-esteem
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
This is the hilarious moment Purdue star Zach Edey high-fives after shooting technical free throws against Grambling State in a first-round March Madness game.
The 21-year-old, seven-foot center stood without his teammates at the free-throw line just over five minutes into Friday’s game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the NBA’s Pacers in Indianapolis, with the Boilermakers leading by four stood. 12-8), at the time.
He successfully made his first attempt, 15 feet from the plane of the backboard, but had no one around him to cheer him on for his second foul shot as the Purdue bench players looked on.
College basketball fans jumped to Edey’s defense on social media, pointing out that it is a common practice for players to high-five just themselves, or themselves, when on the foul line, with or without players in the neighborhood because it is seen as a psychological tool to build self-confidence.
“Every player does this,” one user shared on X (Twitter).
Purdue’s Zach Edey at the foul line for two technical free throws in the first half vs. Grambling
The 21-year-old, six-foot center didn’t have any of his four teammates to give him a high five
Edey had 30 points, 21 rebounds and two assists as Purdue crushed their opponents, 78-50
“He’s not special because he does this,” another added, while someone echoed a similar thought, writing, “All players do this.”
However, one person found the funny side of the highlight, sharing: “Zach Edey’s high five look is so enthusiastic that even the referees are wondering if they missed a call!”
Edey, a native of Toronto, Canada, had 30 points, 21 rebounds and two assists as Purdue blew out Grambling State 78-50 to advance to the second round.
What’s more is that Edey now has three career games with as many points and 20 rebounds, the most of any Div. I’m playing this century. The last time such statistics were recorded in an NCAA Tournament game was in 1995, provided by Maryland’s Joe Smith.
The Boilermakers next play the winner of Utah State-TCU on Sunday.