Former Purdue guard Jaden Ivey in attendance to see his Boilermakers in Elite Eight

Zach Edey and Jaden Ivey were both members of Purdue’s 2020 high school recruiting class and back in 2021, it was Ivey, not Edey, who was the star of the show in West Lafayette. Ivey and Edey could not get past the Sweet 16 together, losing in the 2021 Regional Semifinal to 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s, but Ivey, now a member of the Detroit Pistons came back to his home stadium to see his former team bid for a spot in the 2024 Final Four. 

Ivey, whose team ultimately underachieved in that 2021 tournament, was met with a warm reception from the Boilermakers fans in attendance at Little Caesars Arena when he was shown on the jumbotron just before the second half. 

In his second year playing without Ivey, Edey has developed an impressive symbiosis with his new point guard, Braden Smith, who dished out 15 assists in Purdue’s Sweet 16 win over Purdue on Friday night. On Saturday, Edey talked about the difference between the two pick-and-roll partners that he’s been tied to throughout his collegiate career. 

In 2021, Ivey was named an All-American before entering his name into the NBA draft, forgoing his final two seasons of eligibility at Purdue. Ivey was selected fifth overall by Detroit in the summer of 2021. 

This season, his second in the NBA, Ivey is averaging 15.2 points per game for the 13-61 last-place Pistons. Ivey could certainly use a win and his former team just might provide that. In the first 10 minutes of the second half, Purdue has expanded a two-point halftime lead.