He was named college basketball’s Player of the Year for two consecutive years and is now in the NBA.
Zach Eddy was selected ninth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
In two seasons (73 games) with the Boilermarkers, Eddie averaged 23.8 points and 12.5 rebounds.
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Purdue center Zach Eddy practices ahead of a college basketball Final Four game in the NCAA Tournament, Friday, April 5, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona, as North Carolina State plays Purdue. (AP Photo/Bryn Anderson)
Last year, the Boilermakers lost to 16th-ranked Fairleigh Dickinson. March MadnessHowever, this year they made it to the finals but lost to back-to-back champions UConn.
Everyone knew Eddie was a standout player, but it was this past tournament that really cemented his reputation in the collegiate rankings.
In six March Madness games, he averaged 29.5 points and 14.5 rebounds, including a 40-16 win in the Elite Eight and a 37-point performance in the championship game. Eddie ended up scoring nearly two-thirds of the Boiler Markers’ points in the win over UConn.
Purdue Boilermakers’ Zach Eddy (No. 15) walks onto the court in the second half against the Connecticut Huskies during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament national championship game at State Farm Stadium on April 8, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Many assumed Eddie would miss the lottery, but the Warriors needed a bigger player down low to pair with Jared Jackson Jr., who is averaging 22.5 points per game.
It’s been a tough season for Memphis, with Ja Morant serving a 25-game suspension for off-court issues, but he’s had a dominant performance since returning, including a buzzer-beater in his first game back.
But after just a few games, he suffered a season-ending injury that effectively ended the Grizzlies’ season, and Memphis finished with a 27-55 record, just one year after making the playoffs as the No. 2 seed.
Purdue center Zach Eddy hoists the NCAA Regional Championship trophy after an Elite Eight college basketball game against Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancia)
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But with Morant healthy, Desmond Bane progressing, another season from Jackson and Eddie now a flesh-and-blood man, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if this team makes the playoffs again.
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