Zach Edey declares for draft, maintains eligibility

Wooden Award winner and Purdue center Zach Edey declared for the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he announced Tuesday.

The Purdue center averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in his junior season, leading the team to a 29-6 record and its first Big Ten title since 2017.

The Boilermakers were the top seed in the East Region of the 2023 NCAA Tournament but lost in the first round to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson - the second time in March Madness history that a No. 1 seed lost in the first round.

Edey is the first player to record at least 750 points, 450 rebounds, and 50 blocked shots in a campaign since Navy's David Robinson did so in the 1985-86 season.

The Canadian center isn't the only big man to declare for the draft, as Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe, UConn's Adama Sanogo, and Arizona's Azuolas Tubelis announced their intentions earlier in April.