NCAA Basketball: Top 10 pending 2023 NBA Draft decisions to watch next month
1. Zach Edey – Purdue Boilermakers
The best player of the NCAA Basketball season was Edey, who led Purdue with 22.3 ppg and 12.9 rpg. He’s the clear National Player of the Year, leading the team to both a Big Ten double-championship and a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The team may have lost early but Edey went for 21 points and 15 rebounds versus Fairleigh Dickinson and did his job.
Part of the issue why Edey isn’t a projected top-60 pick is that he isn’t very mobile overall and doesn’t spread the floor. In today’s incredibly fast-paced NBA game, the big man would get ripped to shreds on the defensive end. Still, he’s elite in the college game at 7’4 and an elite post-game.
Edey had eight games of at least 30 points, including a career-high 38 points in 32 minutes against Michigan State. He had 31 points and 22 rebounds versus Minnesota and led the country in double-doubles with 28. The big man had numerous games where he was the sole reason for winning games, including emphatic victories over both Duke and Gonzaga.
Next. Most unlikely Final Four runs. dark
The star center was the reason why the Boilermakers were so good this season and his decision will determine whether they’re a top-5 preseason team or unranked. If he’s back, Purdue should be the favorite to win the Big Ten. If he’s not, they may not even make the Big Dance.