The Purdue basketball squad hopes to redeem their name during March Madness. Coach Matt Painter had a top prospect in Jaden Ivey but still could not get the elusive national title. Now, he has one more shot at terrorizing teams outside of the Big 10 conference. With a loaded cast of talents featuring Ethan Morton, Fletcher Loyer, and Braden Smith, they look poised to make a run to reach college basketball immortality. But, it all starts with the man in the middle's improvement from last year. This is why we're making our Zach Edey bold predictions for their 2023-24 campaign.
Zach Edey develops a serviceable outside shot
When Zach Edey pulled up from outside during the Purdue basketball squad's preseason run, fans either had their jaw drop or raised their eyebrows. Matt Painter has always used him as an inside presence to clean up the boards and get easy looks at the paint. But, this new change in schematics came as a shock. This could be a byproduct of two things: his NBA Draft hopes and grit to get atop the March Madness hill.
Notably, the big man out of Purdue basketball deferred his NBA Draft hopes to play for one last season in the Big 10 conference powerhouse. This would give him more time to develop his stock and get picked higher which may lead to a better rookie contract. But, the biggest barrier to this would be his outside shot. The three-point revolution has nearly made it mandatory for big men to be able to pop out after setting a screen.
Now, this does not mean that he develops a game ala Kristaps Porzingis or Victor Wembanyama. Just attempting about two shots a night and averaging a 30% clip would open up a lot of new schematics for the Matt Painter-led squad. Floor spacing for Ethan Morton and Fletcher Loyer would also be very different if these expectations come to life.
He joins the exclusive list of National Player of the Year winners
Earning the honor of being the best college basketball player is a big feat in and of itself. But, Zach Edey has the opportunity to notch another trophy because of another playing year. This would enable the Purdue basketball big man to join greats like Ralph Sampson and Bill Walton. More hardware never hurts the case of a player getting drafted at a high pick.
His statistics and usage rate will only go up in his final season. Edey already showed signs of improvement in their first game against SIU Edwardsville. He got a double-double by grabbing 11 boards and 16 points. Two assists also show how better of a playmaker he has become when he roams inside the paint. But, the main highlight of the dominant victory was his four blocks. Rim protection remains a key asset in his game which gives a huge boost to the Matt Painter-led squad.
Before all of this happens, he needs to show that he is better than other players like Kyle Filipowski, and Tyler Kolek among other stars in college basketball. This starts with his free throw shooting. Against SIUE, he was given 10 opportunities to knock a shot down from the charity stripe. Edey only knocked down six of those attempts which was not a good look. More than his free-throw shooting, using his size to find shooters on the court would boost his case. They have a good selection of spot-up guys and individuals who have enough offensive awareness to move without the ball.
Will these Zach Edey bold predictions come to life in the Big 10 conference and March Madness?
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