Zach Edey, the national player of the year in college basketball, withdrew from the NBA draft and is headed back to Purdue for a fourth season.
The 7-foot-4 Canadian center made the announcement Wednesday night on social media, writing, “RUN IT BACK”
RUN IT BACKpic.twitter.com/oJfQTbX6SP
— zach (@zach_edey) June 1, 2023
Edey pocketed the Wooden Award, Naismith Award, Associated Press Player of the Year, NABC Player of the Year, Oscar Robertson Trophy (U.S. Basketball Writers Association) and Sporting News Player of the Year honors this year, but it didn’t seem to convince NBA teams that he was pro-ready.
ESPN ranked him as the 47th-best prospect and fourth-best center available. CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated also tabbed him as a second-round prospect.
Edey, 21, averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots last season. He hit 60.7 percent of his field-goal attempts, down from 64.8 percent the prior season.
The Boilermakers were ranked No. 1 in the nation in parts of December, January and February, and they wound up 29-6 overall, 15-5 in the Big Ten, winning the league’s regular-season title.
After also capturing the Big Ten tournament crown, Purdue entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1 seed, then was stunned 63-58 by Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round, just the second No. 1 seed ever to lose its tourney opener.
–Field Level Media
