The reigning college basketball player of the year has a home in the NBA.
Zach Eddy was selected with the ninth overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
In those two seasons with the Boilermakers (73 games), Edey averaged 23.8 points and 12.5 rebounds.
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Purdue center Zach Eddy practices before a Final Four college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, April 5, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. North Carolina State plays at Purdue. (AP Photo/Bryn Anderson)
His Boilermakers were last year’s no. 16 upset by Fairleigh Dickinson. March MadnessBut this year, they advanced to the finals, losing to now-back-to-back champion UConn.
Everyone knows that Edey is a standout, but it was in the last tournament that he cemented his legacy in the college ranks.
In his six games in March Madness, he averaged 29.5 points and 14.5 rebounds, including a 40-16 line in the Elite 8 and a 37-point effort in the championship. Eadie scored nearly two-thirds of the Boilermakers’ points against UConn.
Zach Edey #15 of the Purdue Boilermakers walks across the court during the second half against the Connecticut Huskies during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament National Championship game at State Farm Stadium on April 08, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Many thought Eddie would fall out of the lottery, but could use a big man paired with Jared Jackson Jr., who averaged 22.5 points per game.
It’s been a rough season for Memphis. Za Morant served a 25-game suspension for off-court issues, and when he returned, he dominated and got a buzzer-beater in his first game.
However, after just a few games, he suffered a season-ending injury, ending the Grizzlies’ season in the process. Memphis went 27-55 going into the playoffs in a year ranked No. 2.
Purdue center Zach Eddy holds the NCAA Regional Championship trophy after the Elite Eight college basketball game against Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancia)
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But with a healthy Morant, an improved Desmond Payne, another season of Jackson, and now Eddie in the Phillies, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if this team makes another playoff run.
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