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IMG Academy
The IMG Academy Bradenton boys basketball program saw former student-athlete Zach Edey win the Naismith Men's College Player of the Year Award in 2024, after also winning the award in 2023. He became the first men's college basketball student-athlete to win the award in back-to-back years since 1981 and the third student-athlete to win the trophy in consecutive years since Ralph Sampson (Virginia) who won the trophy in 1981, 1982, and 1983 and Bill Walton (UCLA) in 1972, 1973, and 1974. Edey was also named the 2024 Associated Press Player of the Year Award recipient.
Edey graduated from IMG Academy in 2020 and went onto Purdue University – where the 7'4" senior has led his team to its first Final Four appearance since 1980 and to their first national championship game since 1969. He is the first player since Indiana State's Larry Bird (1978-79) to have at least 900 points and 450 rebounds in a season (now with 946 points and 464 rebounds). He joins Bird, Houston's Elvin Hayes, Miami's Rick Barry, and Cincinnati's Oscar Robertson as the only players to do so. Edey was named the Big Ten's Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, becoming only the fourth player in conference history to accomplish this feat.
The Toronto, Ontario, native played at IMG Academy on two different teams from 2018-2020 – including the boys National basketball team his senior year from 2019-20, and the boys blue basketball team his junior year from 2018-19. Edey had a field-goal percentage of 70%, secured 78 rebounds and had 28 blocks in his senior season on the boys National basketball team.
"Zach Edey is cementing his legacy as one of the best college basketball student-athletes we've ever seen and he is deserving of winning this award back-to-back years", said Brian Nash, Vice President of Athletics at IMG Academy. "Zach's journey at IMG Academy to playing at the level he is now at Purdue is the perfect example of how we develop student-athletes, and he has a bright future ahead. We are incredibly proud of Zach and everything he's accomplished."
IMG Academy, between its on-campus and online products, had nearly 600 alumni playing in the NCAA Men's and Women's basketball tournaments in 2024 across Division I, II and III.
About IMG Academy
IMG Academy is the world's leading sports education brand, providing a holistic education model that empowers student-athletes to win their future, preparing them for college and for life. IMG Academy provides growth opportunities for all student-athletes through an innovative suite of on-campus and online experiences:
- Boarding school and camps, via a state-of-the-art campus in Bradenton, Fla.
- Online coaching via the IMG Academy+ brand, with a focus on personal development through the lens of sport and performance
- Online college recruiting, via the NCSA brand, providing content, tools, coaching and access to a network of 40,000 college coaches
- To learn more about IMG Academy and its on-campus and online experiences, visit www.imgacademy.com.
