It will be one of the big names of the Draft 2024, even if many doubt his future in the NBA. See you almost 22 years old, Zach Edey in any case draws a line under his university career, after a complete course of four years at Purduein order to register for the next high mass of American basketball.
“ I felt it was time » he reacts, about it. “ This season I showed that I was a physical presence in attack and I also showed that I could defend, out wide and even at the back. »
Best advertised as lottery pick and at worst at the very end of the first round, or even in the second, Zach Edey is one of the most awarded players in the history of college basketball. Voted best player of the year twice, once unanimously, he came out of a campaign averaging 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks (62% shooting and 71% shooting) with the Boilermakers, defeated in the NCAA final by Connecticut.
Work before performing in the NBA…
Excellent statistics in the university context, which he did not fail to improve during “March Madness”, but which do not necessarily guarantee the Canadian's success at the higher level, where his shortcomings will be more exposed and its qualities more controlled…
“ Shining in the NCAA and the NBA is totally different » he concedes. “ There are a lot of things I can do that people haven't seen yet… At Purdue, I was focused on being influential in winning and focused on simplifying my game. Every year, I have progressed and there is no reason why I cannot continue to do so. [À Purdue], I needed to be on the floor all the time, I had to watch out for my mistakes. I'm a better passer than people think. I was always looking to score when I received the ball near the circle, but I can also create play in many ways, and much more than I showed this year. »
And Zach Edey continues, on his areas of improvement: “ I'm still learning. I'm going to continue to expand my game and do things that people haven't seen yet. The shoot will be a central point of my pre-Draft training. I train every day to be able to show this aspect of my game. »
However, the interior with a profile so little appreciated in the modern NBA (2m24 and 129kg) says he does not really care about the position in which he will be selected, as long as he is selected by the right franchise…
“ The number [auquel je suis drafté] has no importance » he concludes. “ I am focused on the teams who believe in me. I want to find a coaching staff who believes in me and what I can bring. »
