Zach Edey enters the 2024 NBA draft: 7ft 4ins superstar reveals ‘it is time’ after record-breaking college career with Purdue

Zach Edey, the 7-foot-4 star who enjoyed one of the most decorated careers in college basketball, enters the 2024 NBA draft.

The center was the consensus national player of the year, even though his Purdue team lost the national championship to UConn earlier this month.

“I felt like it was time,” Edey said. ESPN . ‘I showed that I have a physical presence on offense this season… I also showed that I can play defense. I can guard in space, even defend guards.

The center from Canada entered the 2023 draft before opting to return to Purdue for his senior year.

He then led No. 1 seed Purdue to the March Madness final before posting 37 points and 10 rebounds against UConn.

It was the most points scored in a national championship game since 1978, while his tally of 177 points in the tournament was the second-highest in history.

But Edey insists there are still elements of his game that he will only unlock once he joins the professional ranks.

“What you earn in college and in the NBA is totally different,” Edey told ESPN. ‘There are a lot of things I can do that people haven’t seen yet.

‘I was focusing on impacting the wins at Purdue and simplifying my game. “Every year I have taken steps forward and there is no reason why I can’t continue to improve.”

Edey only started playing basketball seriously when he was a high school sophomore in 2017. Until then, his focus had been primarily on hockey and baseball.

“I’m still learning the game,” Edey said. ‘There were times in practice at Purdue where I learned something basic, little things that maybe others were taught in sixth or seventh grade. “I’m going to continue to expand my game and do things that people haven’t seen from me.”