Former Purdue University basketball player Zach Edey surprised some analysts when he was selected as the 9th overall pick in the NBA draft on Thursday by the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Indianapolis Star called it the “most surprising pick so far.”
The 7’4″ Edey leaped from being a fringe player to a top 10 draft pick based on his steady improvement throughout his four years at Purdue where he led the Boilermakers to the national championship game last season, only to lose to UConn. He averaged just 8.7 points per game his freshman year but went on to being named a two-time National Player of the Year. His scoring average increased each year- 14.4 in his second year to 22.3 his junior season and finally 25.2 as a senior at Purdue.
The Grizzlies went from division winners to a fourth-place finish in the Southwest division after their star player Ja Morant went down with a season-ending injury in the 2023-24 season.
They should come back strong this year and Edey could prove to be a key piece to advancing the team further into the playoffs.
The Bleacher Report says he could replace Steven Adams who also suffered an injury and was traded to the Houston Rockets.
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