Dr. J Block Ends Edey's Record 7 Straight Baskets

 Julius Erving (Dr. J) put up his second straight highlight reel against a 2024 team, but only after Zach Edey had out the game out of reach by scoring in a Value Add Basketball Game record seven straight trips down the court to give Purdue a 51-24 lead over UMass 1971.

The Value Add Basketball Game bracket appears at the bottom with Sweet 16 teams in Green and eliminated in Red.

The 7'4 Edey and 2024 national runner-up Boilermakers unbending defense held the Minutemen to just 24 points with only 12 minutes to go in the game to advance as the top seed in our current tournament that did not get a bye.

Dr. J was held to a team high 12 points, while throwing an 8-block party to go with three steals and 9 rebounds, the last one coming on a "high on court" die roll on which Dr. Js 1-10 offensive rebound rating was better than Edey's 1-9 defensive rebound rating. However, the UMass team from the last great NIT in 1971 has a -18 rating meaning they are about 18 points a game worse then the average great team in the game - as one if the teams in the game because of one of the greatest players ever in Dr J.

Purdue is not the No. 1 ranked defense in our game in our tracker of games, averaging allowing only 47.5 points per game though both opponents were weaker. The top 5 defenses are Houston's 2021 team (50 pts allowed), then a team that will play next in Houston's Fab 5 (55.0 pts allowed), DePaul's 1945 with the first great big man George Mikan, and finally Mario Chalmers 2008 Kansas team (56.0).

Purdue was our preseason #23 based on their cards, actually dropped to 35th despite the win over Utah, but returned to 23rd with the blowout of UMass. Meanwhile UMass

UMass started as one of the bottom five teams at 230th of the all-time great teams, moved up to 216th with their upset win over Utah State, but dropped back to 227th with this loss.

Purdue is a +5, meaning they were a 23-point favorite over UMass before the 69-42 win, to add to their almost impressive 74-53 win over New York University from the 1940s. UMass pulled an upset over another 2024 tournament team in Utah State, 73-67. As Utah State learned in a real game last year when they lost to Purdue 106-67 in the tournament, neither team was a match for Purdue and Edey, who finished with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocked shots again a UMass team with no starter over 6'7.

We will add the box score as Purdue advances.

Seed	Men's unbeaten	Player #All-Time Rank	Round of 32 & Sweet 16
1	Connecticut 2023, #7	Adama Sanogo	bye (next Gonz-TX)
2	Connecticut 1996, #14	Ray Allen #52	bye (next SMU-KS)
3	Western Kentucky 1966, #24	Clem Haskins	bye (next UNC-Xavier)
4	Houston 2021, #26	Quentin Grimes	bye (next Duke-Mia)
5	Purdue 2024, #35	Zach Edey	W 69-42 vs. UMass 1971, #219 (2nd R Gtown-ASU)
6	Michigan 1993, #36	Chris Webber #65	W 73-62 vs Gonzaga 1981, #216 (if W TN-Ore St)
7	Rutgers 1976, #39	Phil Sellers	vs. Duquesne 2024, #203 (if W Co-LSU)
8	North Carolina 1972, #40	Bob McAdoo #54	vs. Louisville 1968, #178 (if W UCLA-NC St)
9	UCLA 2008, #44	Russell Westbrook #46	vs. NC St. 2024, #153 (if W UNC-Lville)
10	Colorado 2021, #56	McKinley Wright	vs. LSU 1953, #147 (if W Rutg-Duqu)
11	Tennessee 2023, #59	Santiago Vescovi	vs. Oregon St. 1990, #140 (if W MI-Gonz)
12	Georgetown 1989, #63	Alonzo Mourning #69	vs. Arizona St. 2009, #139 (if W Purdue)
13	Duke 2015, #65	Justise Winslow	vs. Miami 2023, #131 (if W Houston)
14	North Carolina 2022, #67	Armando Bacot	vs. Xavier 2023, #86 (if W West KY)
15	SMU 2017, #70	Semi Ojeleye	vs. Kansas 2022, #79 (if W Uconn 1996)
16	Texas 2023, #71	Marcus Carr	vs. Gonzaga 2023, #76 (if W Uconn 2023)
17	Gonzaga 2023, #76	Drew Timme	vs. Texas 2023, #71 (if W Uconn 2023)
18	Kansas 2022, #79	Ochai Agbaji	vs. SMU 2017, #70 (if W Uconn 1996)
19	Xavier 2023, #86	Jack Nunge	vs. North Carolina 2022, #67 (if W West KY)
20	Miami 2023, #131	Norchad Omier	vs. Duke 2015, #65 (if W Houston)
21	Arizona St. 2009, #139	James Harden #33	vs. Georgetown 1989, #63 (if W Purdue)
22	Oregon St. 1990, #140	Gary Payton #48	vs. Tennessee 2023, #59 (if W MI-Gonz)
23	LSU 1953, #147	Bob Pettit #31	vs. Colorado 2021, #56 (if W Rutg-Duqu)
24	NC St. 2024, #153	D.J. Burns	vs. UCLA 2008, #44 (if W UNC-Lville)
25	Louisville 1968, #178	Wes Unseld #60	vs. North Carolina 1972, #40 (if W UCLA-NC St)
26	Duquesne 2024, #203	Jimmy Clark	vs. Rutgers 1976, #39 (if W Co-LSU)
27	Gonzaga 1981, #216	John Stockton #25	vs. Michigan 1993, #36 Eliminated
28	Massachusetts 1971, #219	Julius Erving #19	L 42-69 vs. Purdue 2024 #35, Eliminated