Purdue’s Zach Edey, Reigning National Player of the Year, Withdraws From the 2023 NBA Draft

Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey in March 2023
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey in March 2023. Photo by Darren Lee/CSM/Shutterstock (13790672g)

Purdue’s center Zach Edey announced on social media that he withdrew his name from the 2023 NBA Draft. Instead, Edey will return to Purdue for one last season of college basketball with the Boilermakers.

Edey finished the 2023 college season, averaging 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks. He was named the National Player of the Year at the end of the campaign.

One of the reasons why Edey might have decided to run it back is the disappointing way Purdue’s season ended. They entered the 2023 NCAA Tournament as the No.1 seed but finished their run in the first round, being sensationally knocked out by No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson.

Another reason for Edey’s decision might be the fact that he wasn’t expected to be selected with a high pick in this year’s draft. Several mock drafts had him going in the late second round, while some projected him going undrafted. 

While Edey’s success at college is noteworthy, the NBA scouts don’t seem to think his game would translate well in the pros. He isn’t a perimeter scored and doesn’t attempt three-pointers at all while being slow due to his size. 

Edey will now hope that another year of college basketball will allow him to polish some of his shortcomings and improve his stock before entering the 2024 NBA Draft.

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