The day has finally come in which Zach Edey has decided to declare for the 2024 NBA Draft, as he’s heavily projected to become a lottery pick. The big man has officially submitted the paperwork required by the league and talked to the press about his expectations this summer.
“I felt like it was time,” said the consensus national player of the year. “I showed that I’m a physical presence on offense this season,” Edey said. “I also showed I can play defense. I can guard in space, even defend guards.”
According to ESPN’s draft projections, the seven-footer should turn out to be the No. 14 selection this offseason, as he’s one of the most important players in college basketball history. He not only became the first to earn unanimous National Player of the Year honors since Bill Walton 50 years ago, but also led the nation in scoring at 24.9 points per match.
Two-time National POY Zach Edey has declared for the NBA Draft 🙌
25.2 PPG
12.2 RPG
62.3 FG%Which team should take him? 👀 pic.twitter.com/rcYjHE0Kyz
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 23, 2024
Zach also holds the record as the all-time highest scorer in Purdue history, with 2,500 points and 1,300 rebounds. The last to achieve these stats was Lionel Simmons, over three decades ago.
As if it wasn’t enough, the Canadian star took Purdue to the national championship game, and hit 37 points and 10 rebounds in their defeat to UConn. The last time someone scored that many points in the title contest was Duke’s Jack Givens back in 1978.
However, none of these awards mean anything if the player can’t prove himself in the big leagues. Ever since Edey started out in college basketball, he’s been subjected to criticism as many believe he isn’t athletic due to his incredible height.
“What wins in college and the NBA are totally different,” he said. “There are a lot of things I can do that people haven’t seen yet. I was focusing on impacting winning at Purdue and simplifying my game. Every year I’ve taken steps forward and there’s no reason I can’t keep getting better.”
The young adult is aware of his areas of improvement. “I needed to be on the floor at all times,” Zach revealed. “I had to be careful about fouling. I’m a better passer than people give me credit for. I was always looking to score when I got the ball down low, but I can make plays out of different situations more than I was able to show this year.”
The seven-footer admits that he still has a lot to learn in basketball and expects to further develop his shooting game
Believe it or not, Edey wasn’t serious about playing basketball until his high school sophomore year in fall of 2017, as he’d mostly dedicated himself to hockey and baseball. Eventually, he understood that his future was in this sport, but knows he still has a lot of basic knowledge to learn first.
“I’m still learning the game,” the center recognized. “There were moments in practice at Purdue that I learned something basic, little stuff that maybe others were taught in sixth or seventh grade. I’m going to keep expanding my game and do things people haven’t seen from me.”
Zach hopes to increase his offensive traits, as “shooting is going to be a big thing in my workouts during the pre-draft process. Every day I’m getting the reps and my routine right to show off that part of my game.”
Last year, the big man entered the 2023 NBA Draft but finally decided to play through his senior campaign in Purdue. “The number doesn’t matter,” he said about his projected chances. “I’m focused on the teams that believe in me. I want to find a coaching staff that believes in me and what I can do.”
