Purdue star Zack Eddy announced his entry on Tuesday NBA Draft but maintaining his collegiate eligibility after winning National Player of the Year honors during his outstanding junior season. He led the 7-foot-4 center Boilermakers to a record of 29-6 and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they were upset in the first round by No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson.
“My basketball journey has been unorthodox to say the least, but I wouldn’t change a thing about it,” Eddie wrote on Twitter. “From No. 437 in my class to Player of the Year, I can’t put into words what Purdue means to me, my teammates, my coaches and our fans. Even though we fell short of our ultimate goal this season, I love every second of it.”
Eddy averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while recording a team-high 31.7 minutes for Purdue. He ranked first in the Big Ten in points and rebounds per game and tied for second in game per game while leading the Boilermakers to regular season and league championship titles.
NCAA deadline for college players who audition NBA Draft Opting out and still eligible to return to play next season is May 31, which means Purdue could remain in limbo for several weeks while Eddie goes through pre-draft workouts and receives feedback from NBA MLM. Although dominant at the college level, it’s unclear how Edey’s game at the next level will translate from a defensive standpoint in NBA Systems that often require adults to defend smaller players in the perimeter.
In 99 career games at Purdue, Eddie has never attempted a 3-point shot, a skill he may need to develop in order to become an effective long-term NBA player. Should he return to Bordeaux, he would have two seasons of eligibility remaining since the 2020-21 campaign did not count against him amid the COVID-19 pandemic.