Zach Edey Won't Return to Purdue for 2024 CBB Season amid NBA Draft Buzz

Zach Edey is playing his final games at Purdue.

Boilermakers coach Matt Painter confirmed the All-American big man will not use his extra year of eligibility for the 2024-25 season, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. Edey is projected as a borderline first-round NBA draft pick.

The 7-footer is widely expected to become the first player to repeat as men's Player of the Year since Ralph Sampson. He's averaging 23.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game while leading the Boilermakers to a 25-3 record. Purdue is listed at +750 to win the NCAA title, behind only defending champion UConn and Houston, at FanDuel Sportsbook.

While Edey's dominance in college is obvious, he faces questions about how he projects to the next level. Lateral quickness is a major weakness in Edey's game, and he doesn't stretch beyond the three-point arc. His size and presence in the middle has a place in the NBA, but teams will likely be able to take advantage of him out on the perimeter, and he's struggled with more athletic competition at times.

Edey could have returned to Purdue for one more season thanks to NCAA rules granting an extra year of eligibility to players who were on rosters during COVID-impacted seasons. That would have given him a shot of joining Sampson as the only player in NCAA history to win the majority of the National Player of the Year trophies for a third time.

That said, it appears Edey is banking on his improvement and continued dominance at the college level leading to one NBA team rolling the dice. The 2024 NBA draft class is considered relatively weak, so him entering this year makes sense.