West Lafayette, Indiana: Zach Edey, the Canadian basketball player, is recognized for his remarkable height and size, standing at an imposing 7 feet 4 inches (223.5 cm / 2.23 m) and weighing 138.4 kg (305 pounds).

Zach Edey's stature makes him one of the tallest and heaviest players in the world of college basketball, and he holds the record for being the tallest player in Big Ten history.

However, he is not the tallest player in the history of the game, as that distinction belongs to Paul Sturgess, who is 7 feet 7 inches tall and played at Florida Tech from 2007 to 2008 and at Mountain State University from 2009 to 2011.

Zach Edey's towering presence will certainly make him one of the tallest players in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, but as mentioned, he's not the tallest.

Zach Edey's journey to basketball success took an interesting path. As a youth, he was involved in other sports, such as baseball and hockey, before eventually embracing basketball during high school.

Edey, who plays a crucial role for the top-seeded Purdue Boilermakers, has been a dominant force in college basketball. During the season, he led the Big Ten conference with impressive statistics, averaging 22.1 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.

His exceptional performance didn't go unnoticed, as he was honored with the Sporting News Player of the Year award for the 2022-23 season. Edey's impact on the court and his remarkable statistics have solidified his position as a key player for the Boilermakers as they aim to make their mark in the NCAA Tournament.

Edey's impact on the Purdue basketball team was evident as they celebrated their Big Ten championship victory on March 5.

During the festivities at Mackey Arena, while other members of the team used a ladder to reach the net for a ceremonial net-cutting, Edey's towering stature allowed him to simply step up and do the same.

Zach Edey or Yao Ming: Who is taller?

Zach Edey stands at 7 feet 4 inches (223.5 cm), while Yao Ming is 7 feet 6 inches (229 cm) tall. Therefore, Yao Ming is two inches taller than Zach Edey.

Yao Ming is a retired Chinese basketball player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest international players to ever play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is exceptionally tall and he played as a center. Yao Ming had a highly successful career in the NBA, primarily with the Houston Rockets.

Yao Ming began his basketball career playing for the Shanghai Sharks in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) before being selected by the Houston Rockets as the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft.

Zach Edey is from Canada, while Yao Ming is from China. Both players represent the internationalization of basketball, as they played in the NBA as non-American players.

While Zach Edey is still in the early stages of his career, both he and Yao Ming received recognition for their talents. Yao Ming was an eight-time NBA All-Star and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Edey, as of the provided information, was named the Sporting News Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season.

'Zach Edey is a waste of height'

Regrettably, trolling and negative comments are prevalent on social media platforms like Twitter, particularly when discussing public figures or individuals with distinctive characteristics, such as Zach Edey's exceptional height.

For example, one user wrote, "Zach Edey is the biggest height merchant I’ve ever seen."

The term "height merchant" is often used in sports discussions to refer to a player who relies primarily on their height rather than their skills or performance.

Another user wrote, "Zach Edey is a waste of height."

One other user wrote, "Zach Edey can walk into that parking garage because the height limit is 7'8."

A user stated, "Fairleigh convincing proof that Zach Edey = useless height."