As in 2023, Zach Edey wins the prestigious John R. Wooden Award which rewards the best university player of the year. An extremely rare double since it is quite simply a first since 1983. At the time, Ralph Sampson had won his second John R. Wooden Award, and the former Virginia center had the distinction of being the same height as the Purdue interior: 2m24.
The comparison ends there since Ralph Sampson, a sort of Victor Wembanyama before his time, will be number 1 in the Draft, while Zach Edey is rather expected in the middle or end of the first round, or even in the second round.
The fact remains that the Canadian pivot once again dominated the NCAA season since he won several individual trophies, with his 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks on average. Top scorer and third best rebounder in the NCAA, he signed 30 “double-doubles” in 39 matches!
Shunned by NBA scouts?
The Canadian also left his mark on the NCAA tournament with an average of 29.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in six matches. His total of 177 points is the second highest in history, and his 37 points in the final against UConn are the most by a finalist. It's also the biggest total in an NCAA final in 46 years, and a certain Lew Alcindor, future Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, for his last college match with UCLA.
And yet, his name never appears when we talk about the best “prospects” of the next Draft. The fault is an old-fashioned pivot profile, incapable of moving away from the circle and too slow to go out on the outside in defense. It's up to him to make NBA scouts lie in the years to come.
