Purdue Basketball: 3 reasons why Zach Edey made right decision to return to school

4-year players are successful in the modern NBA

One of the common misconceptions among casual basketball fans is that the best players in the professionals ranks are guys who spent as little time as possible in the amateurs. Nothing could be further from the truth.

While phenoms like Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Anthony Davis have proven that “one-and-done” players can potentially become superstars, there are also guys who played four years of college basketball and gone on to be very successful. Draymond Green, one of the cornerstones of the Golden State Warriors dynasty played four years under Hall of Fame Coach Tom Izzo at Michigan State.

Malcolm Brogdon, the 2017 Rookie of the Year and the 2023 Sixth Man of the Year played four years of college basketball for the Virginia Cavaliers. And most notably, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trailblazers, one of the best point guards in the world and a bona fide superstar, played four years of college ball at Weber State.

These examples prove that there is more than one path to greatness and that each individual’s path to success is different than another’s. By choosing to return to the Purdue Boilermakers for his senior season, Edey has demonstrated an unwillingness to let others rush him through his process. He will undoubtedly be a first-round pick in the 2024 draft; perhaps giving himself another year to hone his craft before he goes up against the best players in the world will garner better long-term results.

Edey surprised the basketball world by announcing his return to school at the NBA draft deadline. While there are those who will say he should not have missed out on a sure-fire first-round selection, others will understand the fact that Edey and the Boilermakers have unfinished business in the NCAA Tournament. Edey will be a solid pro in the NBA one day; delaying that decision by one season is not going to harm that process at all.