Zach Edey

Zach Edey grew up in Toronto, Canada and didn't play basketball until he was a sophomore in high school. After showing promise, he transferred to IMG Academy and was a three-star recruit before committing to Purdue. Edey was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team in 2021 and then transformed into one of the best players in the country, finishing with at least 22 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks per game as a junior and senior. He won back-to-back National Player of the Year and Big Ten Player of the Year awards to end his collegiate career, including a 2023 Big Ten Tournament MVP and NCAA scoring title in 2024 (25.2 points per game). Edey was the first player to win back-to-back National Player of the Year awards since Ralph Sampson. He also represented Canada at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Asia. At 7-foot-4, Edey dominated collegiate opponents with ease. He was a great screener, attacked the boards, displayed solid footwork and an efficient touch around the rim. Edey had great discipline defensively (less than 2.0 fouls per game as a junior and senior) and rarely needed to leave his feet to swat shots as an amateur. His large base allowed him to move defenders out of position and get to his spots. Edey was also a quality free-throw shooter for a center, making over 71 percent from the stripe in three of four seasons at Purdue. There'll be a stiff learning curve at the professional level, and Edey is far from a polished product. However, given he's been playing the game for only six years, there's no reason to believe he's anywhere near his peak yet. The traditional center is an endangered species in the NBA. However, there are some guys floating around the league that give a guy like Edey some hope for a stable career. While he still has plenty of room to improve, the Purdue product is way more fluid than Boban Marjanovic, who is essentially the same size as Edey. Marjanovic was also 27 when he made his NBA debut, while Edey is 21. Edey (7-4, 300 lbs) is also a lot bigger than traditional centers like Ivicia Zubac (7-0, 240 lbs) and Steven Adams (6-11, 265). If he improves his footwork on both ends of the court, Edey could be a starting-level center in the NBA like Ivica Zubac. If he improves his rebounding, Edey could be a glass eater like Steven Adams. If he improves his shot-blocking timing and can stay out of foul trouble, Edey could be a defensive force like Walker Kessler. If he fails to become elite in any of the aforementioned categories, Edey would probably end up as a journeyman backup like Marjanovic and Alex Len.