College Insider: Purdue’s Edwards wins cash with 3X3U national title

It was part of the NCAA’s Final Four weekend, though it wasn’t sponsored by the NCAA. Designed for seniors who have exhausted their collegiate eligibility, the 3X3U event pitted 32 four-man teams consisting of players from every Division I conference against each other in a three-day, 3-on-3 tournament.

The Big Ten squad defeated the Big West team to earn the $50,000 grand prize. The winning squad got a total of $55,000 (each pool-play, quarterfinal and semifinal win was worth $1,000). The games were 10 minutes or first to 21 points.

Edwards, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward, contributed to a run to the NCAA Sweet 16 by Purdue, which lost to Texas Tech at that point and finished 30-7.

He averaged 14.6 points, a team-best 7.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this season for the Boilermakers, shooting 47.6 percent from the field, 39.8 percent from 3-point range and 83.3 percent from the foul line.

Edwards, a second-team All-Big Ten selection, became only the third collegiate player in the last 25 years to score 1,600 points, grab 750 rebounds, dish out 400 assists and convert 150 3-pointers in his career.

On Purdue’s career lists, he ranks 15th in scoring (1,638), eighth in rebounding (779), 11th in 3-pointers (173), 10th in free-throw percentage (.820), 11th in assists (403), second in minutes played (3,957) and games started (125), and fifth in games played (138).