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College basketball stats: Purdue's Zach Edey, Tennessee's defense highlight season's most impressive numbers – 247Sports
With the regular season wrapping up, Purdue’s Zach Edey has been arguably the nation’s most impressive player this season. Through 11 games, the junior center leads the nation in rebounding and is the only player in college basketball averaging more than 20 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks per game.
Against Minnesota on Dec. 4, Edey had a player-of-the-year moment, racking up career-highs in points (31) and rebounds (22) in an 89-70 win. Edey recorded his third 20-15 game of the season with a 29-point, 16-rebound effort against Davidson on Dec. 17.
As a team, Tennessee’s defense has been nothing short of spectacular this season. Through 12 games, the Volunteers rank fifth in the nation in opposing points per game (52.8), second in opponent field goal percentage (32.9%) and first in opponent three-point percentage (20.1). Rick Barnes’ squad has allowed 70+ points just twice this season while holding eight opponents to 50 points or less.
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Keep scrolling to see some of college basketball’s most impressive statistics this season:
Edey has been all over the court through Purdue’s first 11 games, quickly establishing himself as the favorite for the Wooden Award (-150), according to Caesars SportsBook. Averaging 22.6 points, 13.9 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, Edey is the only player in the nation averaging more than 20 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks per game. His rebounding mark is nearly a full board more than Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe in second place (13.0).
At 62.8%, Edey is one of three players shooting 62%+ from the field on 13+ attempts per game (13.5).
The Volunteers are limiting their opponents to 20.1% shooting from three through 12 games (54 of 268), a mark that leads the nation by nearly four percentage points (Houston, 24%). Since 2015, no team has held their opponents under 26% shooting from three over the course of an entire season. The 2020-21 Colgate Raiders were the closest at 26.1%.
In a three-game stretch from Dec. 4-11, Tennessee held Alcorn State, Eastern Kentucky and Maryland to a combined 9 of 75 shooting from deep (12%).
Collins has been unquestionably college basketball’s best passer this season. Through 13 games, the junior guard ranks No. 1 in the nation with a whopping 134 total assists, 34 more than the next-highest player on the list (Kansas State’s Markquis Nowell, 100). Averaging 10.3 assists per game, Collins has a chance to become the first player to average double digits assists since Ja Morant in 2018-19 (10.0).
Against Tennessee State on Nov. 30, Collins broke his own school record with 20 assists, marking just the fourth 20-assist game since by a college basketball player since 2009.
Kalkbrenner has been remarkable at putting the ball in the basket this season. Through ten games, the junior center leads the NCAA in field goal percentage at 77.5%. Among the top-9 leaders in field goal percentage, Kalkbrenner is the only player averaging 30+ minutes per game (30.1).
Kalkbrenner had arguably his best game of the season against then No. 2 Texas on Dec. 1, notching his first double-double of the season with 20 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 9 of 10 from the field.
Against three top-10 opponents this season (Arizona, Texas, Arkansas), Kalkbrenner has shot better than his season average with a 76.6% mark (23 of 30).
After shooting 33.3% from three a season ago, Sherfield has been a flamethrower from deep in his first season at Oklahoma and leads the nation in three-point percentage at 56.5% (35 of 62). Over his past seven games, Sherfield has been especially efficient from deep, netting 65% of his attempts (26-of-40). Through 12 games, Sherfield has only shot sub-40% from three twice. During that span, he has shot 75%+ from three on three occasions.
In Oklahoma’s last outing, Sherfield scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half (4-of-6 3FG) to lead the Sooners to a come-from-behind victory over Florida in the inaugural Jumpman Invitational.
Banks has been on the court more than any player this season. Through 13 games, the junior guard leads the nation in minutes per game (39.1). No other player in college basketball is averaging over 35.5 mpg.
Banks has played all 40 minutes in 9 of St. Bonaventure’s 13 games this season and has played 38+ in 12 of 13. Banks’ season-low in minutes (34) came in an 80-66 win over USI on Nov. 22.
The last player to average over 39.3 minutes per game over an entire season was Boston College’s Ky Bowman in 2018-19 (39.3).
The Tigers have been tough to score on in the paint this season, racking up 85 blocks through 12 games to lead the nation with a 7.1 average. Western Kentucky ranks second with 6.1 blocks per game.
Morehead State transfer Johni Broome has been an impact contributor in his first season at Auburn, ranking second on the team in points (12.2) and first in rebounds (8.2) and blocks (2.8). Broome and Dylan Cardwell (2.3 BPG) are the only pair of teammates averaging 2+ blocks per game.
Through 12 games, the Kent State guard is leading the NCAA with 3.5 steals per game, more than double his average from last season (1.5). Jacobs has racked up more than four steals in six games this season, including a program-record 10-steal performance against Chicago State on Nov. 19.
As a team, the Golden Flashes rank No. 10 in the nation in steals per game (10.5). Of the top-10 teams in steals, only Kent State (two) and Missouri (zero) have less than four players averaging 1.0+ steals per game.
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