Halting NBA Dreams For Purdue, Zach Edey Dismisses Any Threats Against Winning National Player of the Year

Solidifying his status as the most dominant player in college basketball, Zach Edey is creating commotion with his court exploits at the moment. Despite being compared with Big Shaq, the 7-footer is creating his own impact in the ongoing NCAA season. This is the reason the National Player of the Year doesn’t feel threatened losing his gold he wears as a badge of honor.

Much of this confidence stems from Edey’s ability to earn rewards and awards. The towering athlete became the first player from his country to receive the prestigious Wooden Award since Purdue’s Glenn Robinson in 1994. He also received six other honors including a Naismith Trophy in the 2022-2023 season. With such impressive accolades, it is no surprise that anticipation for Edey to secure consecutive NPOY title is high, especially considering his recent outstanding performance.

Another Zach Edey Year?

After considering big boys league, Edey decided to return to Purdue as No. 3 for one more college season. This quickly made him favorite to win national player of the year in 2023-24. What favors his chances are the limited counts of competition when the case of NPOY is decoded.

This fact surfaced in a recent interview when Zach Edey was asked: “Who’s the biggest threat to you for national player of the year, we can’t even come up with one.”

It’s true, as none of the players could draw a parallel with Zach’s supremacy. “I don’t really consider things like that,” replied Edey, which transcends his confidence.

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Although it may be difficult to believe, Edey is expected to show significant improvement in his last season as a collegiate player.

NPOY Before NBA?

After taking a chance on the NBA draft, Edey has identified the areas of his game that require enhancement. Despite not being seen as a strong professional prospect, Edey has proven to be a formidable opponent at the collegiate level.

Last year, he averaged an impressive 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 31.7 minutes per game. As long as he continues to put up such impressive numbers, Edey will be a strong contender in the race. In fact, as of January 2023, Edey was rated as a -330 favorite and went on to easily win the NPOY award.

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But whether or not he wins another ring will depend on the logical conclusion of the season he is already taking by storm with his towering gameplay.