NBA Draft Scouting Report: Purdue’s Zach Edey
Zach Edey
Center | Purdue
Height: 7’4” | Weight: 290 lbs
2024 Draft Age: 22.11
Alex Martin/Journal and Courier-USA TODAY NETWORK
Prospect Profile
Standing at 7-foot-4, Edey is always the biggest player on the court. What’s unique about his size is that he also has the weight to go with it. Many times, taller players are extremely skinny and don’t have the strength to round out their interior game. Edey is 290 pounds, which also makes him the heaviest player on the floor at all times.
At this size, Edey will instantly in the running for the heaviest player in the NBA when he makes the jump to that level.
After coming off the bench as a freshman at Purdue, Edey has been the starting center for the past two seasons. During this time, the Boilermakers have been among the best teams in the country, in large part due to his dominance in the paint. This is why he earned Naismith College Player of the Year as a junior.
In this recent season, Edey averaged a 20-point double-double and was especially good on the offensive class. He generates a ton of second-chance points for Purdue.
While he has good touch around the rim and is even a good positional free throw shooter, Edey is not a perimeter scorer at all. His game is focused around the paint, meaning he doesn’t take any 3-point shots at all.
As such, his fit at the next level is interesting. As a center 20 years ago, he’d be the perfect prospect. However, in the modern NBA he feels like more of a situational bit off the bench.
Defensively, Edey is a quality shot blocker but is very slow due to his size. He doesn’t have the quickness to stay in front of guards or wings, so he relies on his strength and size to alter shots.
Overall, he’s worth a team taking him in the second round. While it may seem like he doesn’t have much more room to expand his game, Edey didn’t actually play basketball until his sophomore year of high school. He’s still learning, and the improvement just over the past few years is impressive.
Edey played with Canada at the 2021 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup averaging nearly 15 points and 15 boards as he led the team to a Bronze medal.
Prior to that, he did start to make a name for himself at IMG Academy, but still wasn’t a big recruit. Before basketball, Edey played a lot of baseball and hockey for the majority of his life before making the switch to the hardwood.
Now, he’s the tallest player in the history of the Big Ten and should be playing in the NBA soon.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Second-Round Pick in 2024 NBA Draft.
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