Zach Edey Announces Return to Purdue for Senior Season

Purdue got some positive news this week when star center Zach Edey announced he was withdrawing from the NBA Draft and returning for his senior season.

In his junior season Edey averaged 22.9 points and 12.9 rebounds per game on his way to being named the consensus National Player of the Year. Edey led a Boilermakers squad that spent time ranked first in the nation, won the Big Ten outright, won the Big Ten Tournament and earned a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

That Purdue team will return almost everyone from last season outside of guard Brandon Newman. Joining the fray will be freshman Myles Colvin, transfer Lance Jones and redshirt freshmen Cam Heide and William Berg. There remains some question as to if Purdue will find some consistency shooting from the perimeter, but if they can improve on that front Purdue will once again likely be one of the top teams in the country.

The return of Edey also shows the positive side of NIL money and the benefits it can have for schools. There was a decent chance Edey would have gotten drafted in the second round and had a chance to make it on an active roster, or at least a two-way contract and some time in the G League. Thanks to the money players can get playing college basketball though, the NIL money very likely surpassed what he would have earned if he stayed in the draft. Mix the increase in money with the ability to remain in the national spotlight for another season and it makes the decision to stay in school a lot easier.

With Edey now back in West Lafayette it’s safe to say Purdue will remain nationally relevant and an early favorite to win the Big Ten once again.