Purdue basketball has one of the biggest and brightest stars in college basketball, and that star is Zach Eady.
The center's accolades are quickly filling his trophy case, as he and Purdue aim for what he and the Boilermakers never had: a national championship. With Purdue reaching the Final Four for the first time since 1980, the Boilermakers are aiming for their first national championship game appearance since 1969, when they lost to John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA.
Must read:Once driven by self-doubt, Purdue basketball's Braden Smith makes his opponents doubt themselves.
Questions abound regarding Eady as basketball fans begin to speculate about his NBA future. Specifically, how well can a player with his skill set do at the next level? Eadie, who is 7-foot-4 and weighs 285 pounds, has scored three points in his career as a college basketball player. He has only made two shots, but that number, combined with his size, makes some people pale at his NBA prospects in an up-tempo league. However, his post dexterity and great scoring ability keep him on draft boards.
How Eady would match up with NC State's DJ Burns, and if he and the Boilermakers make it to the national championship game, either UW's Donovan Clingan or Alabama's Grant Nelson would be a good choice for Eady. It has the potential to become a big presence. One of the things that has allowed him to completely dominate at the collegiate level is his physicality.
Follow the madness: NCAA Tournament brackets, scores, schedules, teams, and more.
If Eady finds a match and plays well, concerns about the best player in college basketball may start to ease a little. Ultimately, Eady is expected to be selected primarily in the late first round or early second round.
Here's a look at where Eadie is projected to go in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Zach Eady NBA Mock Draft
- Jeff Gilgit and Scooby Axon of USA Today Sports (as of March 20): 26. Washington Wizards
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (as of April 3): 25. Milwaukee Bucks
- Sam Vesenier of The Athletic (as of February 20th):30th to Boston Celtics
Cautionary tales about dominant big players in college are as old as NBA experts themselves. There's also Greg Oden from Ohio State, whose career was derailed by injury. Michael Olowokandi helped raise Pacific University's profile, but was also plagued by injuries. And most recently, Arizona's Deandre Ayton (it wouldn't be fair to call him a “bust” in the traditional sense, but he also hasn't lived up to his potential in Arizona).
In an ideal world, Eady would be evaluated in isolation, but without the out-of-this-world athleticism of Joel Embiid and unique tools like Nikola Jokic. We cannot overlook the fact that evaluations can be made even in centers where there is no center. I feel it's hard to stand out in the NBA. So while Eadie's performance in college would be attractive to NBA teams, there would also be red flags that could push him further down the team's board.
Zach Eady NBA Scouting Report
Zillgitt and Axson briefly summarize the flags regarding Edy as follows:
“Eday is a weak player to defend in the low post, and he may win college player of the year awards. But in the NBA, he has enough mobility to maintain his style and pace, especially Does he have the defensive side?”
But despite all the talk about Eadie's size, Eadie's size is on the rise. The discourse surrounding Eadie has grown stronger as he continues to dominate, despite warnings from big-time college players. Bleacher Report's Wasserman wrote, via NBA.com:
“He was dominant with nothing to show for it. Opponents had no answer to his drop steps into the lane or jump hooks, no one knew he was catching a roll and finishing, or a putback position. He didn't have the strength or height to regularly prevent him from scoring.
”Eadie was also devastating in rim protection, taking shots without fouling and not changing the decisions of penetrating guards in the lane.
”Scouts are looking forward to the Purdue championship game against Connecticut and Donovan Clingan, who may be the only prospect who can physically match him. ”
Wasserman went on to say that fit is ultimately important for Eady, who will be surrounded by cutters and shooters at Purdue. We'll probably need something similar at the next level.
Must read.The dented chair in Brandon Brantley's office is a testament to Zach Eady's off-court work ethic
zach edey stats
- Career: 18.1 points per game (62.1% shooting), 9.6 rebounds per game, 1.3 assists per game, 1.7 blocks per game
- 2023-24 season: 25 points per game (62.4% shooting), 12.2 rebounds per game, 2 assists per game, 2.2 blocks per game.
Eady shocked the world somewhat by returning for the 2023-24 season after Purdue's early exit from last year's NCAA Tournament. He hasn't done anything to hurt his stock since then, averaging career highs in points, assists and blocks, while hitting a career best in rebounds at 0.7 per game. I haven't been able to do it.
He has proven in each of the past two seasons that he can't be guarded as a fixture in Purdue's rotation. That continued into March Madness, where he averaged 30 points, 16 shooting percentage (65.6% from the field), 16.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in four NCAA Tournament games.
