Zach Edey to return to Purdue, will not join NBA Draft
(CBS) -- Purdue's 7-4 center Zach Edey, after a dominating college campaign that culminated with the 2023 National Player of the Year honor, will be returning to the Boilermakers and will not participate in the NBA Draft.
Edey's decision was announced Wednesday evening.
Edey went through the NBA Combine to get feedback from NBA scouts and other experts. The latest draft boards projected him to be a second-round pick. He gets lower marks for his difficulty defending smaller, athletic players and is more of an old-school post player, dominating smaller college centers.
That is what made the decision a bit more complex. He could return to Purdue for his senior year and work on his weak spots. He has shown the ability to hit longer-range jump shots during drills, but that isn't a focus of Purdue's offense under Matt Painter.
Edey, who is from Toronto, was working on revising his visa so that he can earn more money under the NIL (name, image, and likeness) rules in college. He was the potential to earn seven figures in a NIL deal if his visa issues can be resolved.
There is some unfinished business for Purdue. The Boilermakers were a top seed in the NCAA tournament but lost to No 16 seed Farleigh Dickenson in the first round. It was only the second time that has happened. Virginia was the first, and that team came back to win a title the following year.
The entire core group from the previous season will join him, making the prospect of a deep NCAA tournament run possible.