‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’ is now playing in theaters near you! But forget your movie tickets for a minute. Just tune in on April 8 to marvel at the mouth-watering matchup between Purdue’s modern-day boilermaker Zach ‘Godzilla’ Edey and UConn’s Donovan ‘Kong’ Clingan. 2024’s NCAA championship hoop game will decide which big man rules the lofty empire of college basketball for another year.
Of course, this intergalactic battle is based on Purdue pummeling N.C. State in Saturday’s first men’s semifinal. Then UConn has to crush Alabama by their normal victory margin of 27.8 points in the second. (You already know where I stand on that.)
Who Will Come Out on Top: Kong Clingan or Godzilla Zach?
Come Monday, Kong Clingan will swing between backboards and tall buildings at 7’2″ and 280 pounds. His supporting Husky cast should allow UConn to stroll into the sunset with their second straight national title. But Godzilla Zach himself is a formidable presence at 7’4″ and 300 punishing pounds. He surely won’t back down.
Edey hails from Toronto, Ontario. He´s been called Bigfoot (Sasquatch) from the Great White North on more than one occasion. Edey’s enormous frame allows him to establish great post positions, where he wreaks most of his havoc. He’s also the best offensive rebounder in D1 basketball, according to Stephen Noh of the Sporting News.
Edey: More Than Simply a Banger
What’s more, Godzilla Zach is more than simply a banger. He has a velvety touch on his right hook, and he’s a pretty good passer out of double teams. Most importantly, Edey is the embodiment of a modern-day Purdue boilermaker. He now proudly represents the fine ‘Hoosier’ state of Indiana.
When I was a kid, we scoffed at how a boring boilermaker could possibly cope with a dashing husky or a belligerent bruin. But now, after a touch of research, we find that Purdue is not only one of the finest ag and engineering schools from all across the continent.
Purdue Boilermaker History
The history of the boilermaker name dates back to a certain football game in 1891 when Purdue pulverized heavy favorites Wabash in an embarrassing whitewash, 44-0. You should know: one reason Purdue dominated at the time was their reliance on two coaches imported from eastern powerhouse Princeton.
In national headlines the day after the massacre, Purdue got credit for ´the Slaughter of Innocents.’ Wabash’s ‘high-born liberal arts students’ were punished by the football 11 from the land-grant institution of Purdue.
In the following decades, Purdue’s omnipotent players received more funny names. They included ‘grangers, pumpkin-shuckers, rail-splitters, cornfield sailors, blacksmiths, foundry hands, and lastly, burly boilermakers.’
The last one stuck, in the words of the Purdue University Athletics Department. By the way, Edey, the modern-day boilermaker, is the most-fouled player in America, plus all the other ways in which the hoopster has no peers reports Zach Osterman of the Indianapolis Star. Edey’s average hit rate is 9.8 fouls in 40 minutes.
How Can Any Team Stop Kong or Godzilla?
Teams have tried everything to slow the giant down. Some also complain that the men in stripes are Edey’s running mates. But Edey tries to keep an even keel. “We’ve seen everything, and we’re not unprepared for anything,” Zach quipped.
Just one quick question, Zach: What’s your master plan for shackling King Kong Clingan? We’ll check back with you on Monday after the cosmic dust clears.
For More Great Content
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.