Zach Edey is officially in elite company.
The Purdue Boilermakers star powered his team into the national championship game after a commanding 63-50 victory over NC State in the Final Four on Saturday.
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Edey got the better of opponent DJ BurnsCredit: Getty
7ft 4in Edey finished the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds – a Big Ten-record 29th double-double for the Canadian.
After putting up another double-double, Edey now has the most consecutive 20 points, 10 rebounds games (6) in the NCAA Tournament over the past 50 years.
That puts him ahead of San Antonio Spurs legend David Robinson (5) and Boston Celtics icon Larry Bird (4).
He also became the first ever player from the Big Ten to have at least five double-doubles in a single NCAA Tournament run.
The two-time National Player of the Year had 14 points and 8 rebounds at the half and proved to be an unstoppable force on the inside all night long.
NC State big man DJ Burns had no answer for Edey, and had to resort to making him laugh in order to try and stop him.
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Purdue are one win away from their first NCAA titleCredit: Getty
No.1 Purdue led the No.11 Wolfpack 35-29 at halftime and held onto the lead in the second half.
Purdue are into the national championship game for the first time since 1969 – which they lost to UCLA.
Edey has been the consensus best player at this year’s Big Dance and scored a career-high 40 points and 16 rebounds in the Boilermakers’ 72-66 win over Tennessee in the Elite Eight.
They will face the winner of reigning champion UConn and the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide who play later on Saturday.
The national title game takes place on Monday night, with Edey just one win away from delivering the program’s first ever NCAA title.
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