[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2024 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Zach Edey
Frame: 7’4″ 285 lbs
Position: Center
Team: Purdue Boilermakers
2024 Draft Age: 22
Stats via www.basketball-reference.com and https://barttorvik.com/   

Offense

Edey is among the strongest and most physically imposing college players. But he is more than just a brute; his skill and surprising fluidity make him so effective. Edey does most of his damage in the low post, where footwork and strength give him an advantage over most matchups. 

He is comfortable posting up on either block to finish with either hand. Edey likes to use his inside shoulder to create space to score, usually with a jump hook that he finishes with a soft touch. He could improve as a passer out of the post, but he has shown the ability to make simple reads and find an open shooter when he gets double-teamed. Edey’s offensive rebounding is also elite, with the third-best offensive rebound rate in Division I (18.1 percent). 

His effectiveness stems from surprisingly quick feet, second-jumping ability and massive frame. Edey’s low-post scoring and offensive rebounding are likely where his NBA value will come from.

Edey offered very little as a shooter, attempting just two three-pointers in four years. He shot a respectable 71 percent on free throws in his college career, providing hope for him developing a midrange game in the future. However, it’s unlikely that he will build much of an offensive game outside of the paint. Another weakness is his transition game. Edey moves with decent agility in the halfcourt but lacks the footspeed to run the floor in transition and often finds himself behind the play. Purdue masked this flaw by playing a slow-paced, half-court-centric offense. But in the faster NBA game, Edey will likely struggle to keep up on both ends of the floor.

Edey’s swing skill is the pick-and-roll. His screen-setting is effective due to his strength and wide frame. He also dives to the basket with intent and looks to catch the ball near the basket for an easy finish. However, he lacks skill in the short roll. He looks uncomfortable with the ball outside of the paint and struggles with his passing, which can make him a fairly one-dimensional offensive player.

Defense

As a paint defender, Edey holds up decently well. He does a good job of defending without fouling, as he averaged just 2.4 fouls per 40 minutes as a senior. He also had an exceptional block rate (6.9 percent) due to his size and positioning. To be a great NBA rim protector, he’ll need to improve on timing his jumps, but overall, his verticality and paint protection should translate well to the next level. His defensive rebounding is solid, ranking 40th in the country in defensive rebounding rate (25.5 percent), though it is not as elite as his offensive rebounding.

Edey’s pick-and-roll defense is a significant concern. He often gets blown by when he switches on to a quicker ball-handler as he doesn’t possess the instincts or footspeed to stay with guards on the perimeter. He may be limited to playing drop coverage in the pick and roll, which teams have already started to exploit at the college level with floaters and midrange pull-ups. Spread NBA offenses will look to matchup-hunt Edey in the pick-and-roll. He doesn’t project to be a plus defender at the next level outside of strong-side rim protection.

Looking Ahead

Edey will likely top out as an impact player off the bench in the NBA. While his physical tools allowed him to dominate at the college level, he’ll have less fortune against more athletic and skilled NBA bigs. Significant concerns exist about his ability to defend against a well-spaced NBA offense. Unfortunately for Edey, his offensive game isn’t well-suited to the modern NBA, as teams have moved away from post-ups in favor of spacing and pick-and-roll-based offenses.

Given these concerns and his age, Edey will likely be a late first- or second-round pick. Other elite college players with massive builds have struggled in the NBA, especially when they needed a well-rounded offensive game. Still, Edey can carve out a role providing offensive rebounding and high-level screening for a team.