How’s Zach Edey Miles Ahead for NCAA Player of the Year Race?

The tall center for Purdue University’s basketball team, Zach Edey, has drawn attention with his exceptional plays this season. Edey has been a formidable presence on the floor, displaying his remarkable scoring prowess and control in the paint, standing an astonishing 7 feet, 4 inches tall. He is a dangerous player since he has been averaging a double-double in both points and rebounds. Zach is having a statistically dominant year, proving his decision to return to college basketball was the right thing to do.

Edey has had a huge influence on the club because he was a major contributor to Purdue’s success in the early going. The squad has established itself as one of the best in the nation with a number of spectacular wins over some of the toughest opponents.

Zach Edey is far ahead of his opponents

The 2023 collegiate basketball season saw Zach Edey performing remarkably. Averaging 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and 1.5 assists per game, he demonstrated his remarkable ability to shoot 60.7% from the field and 73.4% from the free-throw line. He has already won several honors, such as the Big O Trophy, the Wooden Award, the Naismith Award, the AP National Players of the Year, the NABC National Players of the Year, and the Sporting News National Players of the Year.

The ESPY Award for Best Male College Athlete featured him as a finalist as well. Zach Edey had a statistically great year in 2023 that eliminated any potential threats to his NPOY shout, thus it was understandable that expectations were high for him to garner such high accolades.

Edey has consistently shown remarkable individual performance and efficiency on the court. Throughout the season, he has been a reliable player, showcasing his excellent rebounding and scoring abilities. He is a strong defensive player as well because of his enormous presence in the paint, which frequently thwarts the attacking plays of the opposition. He is a serious candidate for National Players of the Year because of all these attributes.

Zach Edey’s NBA projections

Despite the Purdue center’s incredible skill in college, many don’t think his style will work well in the current NBA system, and it may be obvious. Edey was predicted to be selected in the second round of the Draft the previous year, at most. And as of early January of this year, Bleacher Report had him rated 59th out of 101 prospects. According to these early forecasts, many NBA clubs would still rather take a chance on guards, wings, or power forwards than on a player with Edey’s stature and skill set.

Edey is a classic big man who can shoot from beyond the arc and defend the hoop from a distance. He also has a strong post-game and an excellent sense of putting himself low. Neither Jokic nor Embiid can shoot the three pointer with him, nor could he ever equal Antetokounmpo or even Victor Wembanyama’s level of quickness and agility.

There’s no denying that scouts can’t condemn Edey for wanting a player of his stature to guard the rim and be a threat on lobs. However, Jeremy Woo and Jonathan Givony of ESPN recently released a mock draft in which they finally predicted Edey to be a lottery selection.

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A dominant display of stats

One of Edey’s many notable accomplishments is that he was named the nation’s top center and best post-player, respectively, receiving the Pete Newell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Awards. He also received honors for being the first team All-Big Ten, the Big Ten All-Defensive Team, and Purdue’s first Big Ten Player of the Year since 2017. In addition, with an average of 26.0 PPG and 12.7 RPG, he was named the Big Ten Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

Edey’s performance metrics reflected a high level of achievement, with scores that were impressive. His remarkable feat of 27 double-doubles earned him the prestigious title of holding the record for the most double-doubles in the nation. In addition, Edey’s impressive performance earned him second place in rebounds per game, sixth place in points per game, blocks per game, and field goal percentage.

Furthermore, he made history by becoming the first player in the NCAA database to rank in the top 25 in points, rebounds, blocks, and field goal percentage. In the previous 20 years, he also became the third player from a high major to be ranked in the top 10 in the NCAA in both scoring and rebounds.

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Edey broke several records in the Big Ten and NCAA. Having 750 points, 400 rebounds, 70 blocks, and 50 assists made him the first player in NCAA history to accomplish this feat. He has 20 games with at least 20 points and scored in double digits in all 34 games. Eight games in which Edey scored at least thirty points and pulled down ten rebounds were the fourth most in a Purdue season and the most by a major college player in the previous fifteen years.