The 2024 NBA draft is just a few days away and here at College Sports Wire we are evaluating the college basketball stars who are hoping to hear their name called next Wednesday or Thursday.
There is not a single college basketball player who has performed better – or been talked about as much – over the past two seasons as Purdue center Zach Edey. Edey became the first player since Ralph Sampson to win back-to-back National Player of the Year awards, leading the Boilermakers to the national championship in March where they fell to the UConn Huskies.
Edey is polarizing as an NBA prospect. He’s an elite finisher around the rim due to his absolutely massive frame – measuring a legit 7’3 with a 7’10 wingspan and coming in at 299 pounds. Edey’s low post scoring will no doubt translate at the NBA level, but without an outside shot and limited lateral mobility, Edey becomes fairly one dimensional. If he can’t be used outside of drop coverage – and NBA teams aren’t funneling their offense through him – his role is less clear.
Still, the size, strength, productivity, high basketball IQ, and touch from the free throw line give Edey a path – and where he ends up and how he is utilized is arguably the most fascinating aspect of this entire draft class.
Below is a look at Edey’s draft profile, including his measurements at the combine, strengths and weaknesses as a player, and current projected draft range and team fits in the NBA: