Hate him or love him, Zach Edey is a force to be reckoned with on the court. In college, size kills and Edey has plenty of it. At seven-foot-four, the 21-year-old has elite touch near the rim and can block any shot. It’s no mistake that Edey was the back-to-back National Player of the Year.
He was able to dominate all season long but the Boilermakers ran into a buzzsaw in the National Championship last night. Purdue lost 75-60 to the Connecticut Huskies who have been unstoppable. Zach Edey’s collegiate career is over and the big man will likely take his game to the next level. The NBA Draft is in late June and Edey could be a first-round pick. His game in college might not translate well to the NBA. Edey has a lot he needs to work on but has a lot of raw potential. Where will Zach Edey be drafted in 2024?
Does Zach Edey have first-round talent in the 2024 Draft class?
Went on NBA Today with @malika_andrews to talk about the big Donovan Clingan vs Zach Edey matchup tonight from an NBA draft perspective. pic.twitter.com/kDslCcXDC4
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 9, 2024
Let’s rewind to the end of the 2023 collegiate season. Zach Edey just won his first National Player of the Year award and Purdue was a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Boilermakers lost to #16 seed FDU in 2023. After that loss, Edey was projected to enter the NBA Draft. However, Edey stayed at Purdue for the 2024 season and made the most of his senior year. In 2024, Edey averaged a career-high (25.2) points per game along with (12.2) rebounds and (2.3) blocks.
The 21-year-old polished his game heading into 2024 and was easily the best player in college. Now, the next chapter in Edey’s career is likely the NBA. Scouts have mixed opinions on Edey. His size and skill level are undeniable but how will he translate to the league? He’ll be playing against bigger and more skilled talent in the pros. Can Zach Edey keep up with the pace of the NBA and expand his game to look like a modern center?
Zach Edey is a top 10 pick btw, idc what the mock drafts say. NBA execs would be stupid to pass up on him. Y’all overthinking it – his game translates
— Spike Albrecht (@SpikeAlbrecht) April 9, 2024
One reason Zach Edey is so dominant in the college is because of his size. However, Edey will run into seven-footers a lot more frequently in the NBA. Edey likes to take advantage of mismatches and score on smaller defenders. While that was effective for Purdue, will those same shots be there for him in the NBA? What if Edey has Giannis Antetokounmpo guarding him down low? There’s no telling what would happen. For now, all we can do is speculate about how Zach Edey might translate to the league. Where will the big man be drafted in June?
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