By 2024 NBA Draftwe take a closer look at the various Liberty Ballers prospects and determine which players would be the best fit for the team. Sixers 16th and 41st. The next player in this series is Purdue's Zach Eddy.
Zach Eddy was one of the most physically gifted and decorated college athletes we've ever seen. The hulking Canadian was a two-time Wooden Award winner and led the Boilermarkers to the 2024 NCAA Tournament finals, where they lost to powerhouse UConn.
profile
2023-24 Stats: 39 games, 32.0 minutes, 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.3 steals, 2.2 blocks, 62.3% field goal success rate, 50.0% 3-point shooting success rate (2 attempts), 71.1% free throw success rate
team: Purdue
Year: Senior
position: C
Height (without shoes) and weight: 7'3.75” | 299.0 lbs
to be born: May 14, 2002 (age 22)
home town: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
high school: IMG Academy
Strengths
Size, size, size. Eddie stands over 7'4″ tall with shoes on and has a mythical 7'10″ wingspan. He was extremely physical on both ends of the court, effortlessly taking up post position to score with ease and then blocking shot after shot at the rim on the other end.
Eddie certainly improved his skill level and agility during his four years at Purdue, shooting 11.2 free throws per game and making 71.1 percent of them (everyone in Philadelphia knows the value of a big man who can invite and make free throws), and he clearly worked harder and looked more agile last season after the Boilermakers' embarrassing exit from the 2023 tournament.
Weaknesses
Eddie has made great strides, but the athleticism required to compete with NBA players is a big concern. For most of his time in college, he was able to use his size to make up for his athletic deficiencies, but that won't necessarily be the case at the next level.
It's fair to wonder how Eddie would hold up physically as a pro. In the national title game, he got off to an incredible start, making Purdue look like it could beat Donovan Clingan's Huskies. As the game went on, Eddie's adrenaline rush seemed to fade. This is not a critique of Eddie's fitness, he's just a giant of a man. Does he have the stamina to compete every night for an 82-game season?
Despite his skill improvements, Eddie's ability to stretch the floor remains questionable. He was 1/2 on 3-pointers in college, but his shooting was reportedly better at the combine. Adding that to his offensive output would be a plus, but there are still big question marks.
Position Fit
Of all the players we analyze in this segment, there's probably no easier answer. Eddie is a pure center. In the 1990s or early 2000s, we probably would have been talking about him as a No. 1 pick. But with the way the game has evolved, he's a big bet.
Draft Plan
SB Nation Mock Draft: No. 26, Washington Wizards
There's a Sixers connection here: Nick Nurse was the head coach of the Canadian team and was a big fan of Eddie, who was just 18 when he was trying out for the national team. Daryl Morey played alongside Yao Ming for more than five years in Houston, so he's familiar with the hulking big man.
But would Eddie make sense for the Sixers? It's interesting. The Sixers were dominated in offensive rebounding, and the Knicks were able to utilize Paul Reed at the rim in the playoffs. Neither of those things would happen with Eddie. Plus, in theory, he would be another scoring option. But his lack of switchability is a pretty big red flag. In a rematch, Jalen Brunson would put Eddie in every action he can. If the Sixers acquire Eddie, they'll need a more mobile center like Reed to join the team.
