NCAA Basketball: 5 NBA Draft declarers who should return to school

C Zach Edey, Purdue

There might not be much left for Zach Edey to do at the college level at this point. But he may be in for a rude awakening in the NBA and could likely soak up some more accolades and perks by cementing his legacy with another year at Purdue.

Edey did it all last year – well, except for making it out of the First Round of the NCAA Tournament (too soon?). He won basically every award he was eligible for, including Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus National Player of the Year.

Keep in mind, this is someone who didn’t really get into basketball until his sophomore year of high school. That’s not that long ago. To become so accomplished in a sport in that little time is impressive and speaks to more than just his ginormous height advantage.

You would think his 7-foot-4 frame and ability to score, rebound, and block at will would make him an ideal player in the NBA, even if he’s incapable of popping a shot from the outside. But that’s not how the league sees him.

Unfortunately, his advantageous height may be the very reason he’s expected to make less of an impact at the NBA level. The professional game is quick and requires twitchy athletes. Edey isn’t mobile enough to keep up, an issue he hasn’t dealt with as much in college.

We’ve seen players of similar stature and prestige go through the same unforgiving draft process. Remember Iowa’s Luka Garza? He was picked late in the second round two years ago and has yet to crack the NBA in a meaningful way.

Some team will take a chance on Edey in the second round – he’s just too tantalizing. The glory that most awaits him awaits him with the Boilermakers, though.