WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Brian Nash vividly remembers the first impression Zach Edey made at IMG Academy.
The school's coaches were fascinated with the basketball newcomer's size, his potential. They liked his hands and the footwork he developed playing other sports. They thought he could be college basketball's next big thing.
Five years later, the transformation seems almost complete — to the surprise of Nash, IMG’s director of basketball operations. Edey, the 7-foot-4, 305-pound Canadian, is compiling numbers that show America's biggest player might also be its best player.
“He's the most dominant player in the country and I would have never thought that would happen this quickly,” said Nash, who spent more than 20 seasons coaching at the college level after playing at Kansas State.