Purdue center Zach Edey announces decision to return to Boilermakers for 2023-24 season

Purdue center Zach Edey has made a final decision on the 2023 NBA Draft, opting to withdraw from the draft and return to school for the 2023-24 season.

The Boilermakers star won virtually every major award as a junior.

He won the Wooden Award, the Naismith Award, the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, the Pete Newell Award and the Big O Trophy, while he was named the National Player of the Year by the NABC, the Associated Press and The Sporting News.

Edey averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks and 1.5 assists per game as Purdue worked its way toward a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

He became the first player in NCAA history with 750 career points, 400 rebounds, 70 blocks and 50 assists. He had eight 30-and-10 games, the most by any major-college player in the last 15 years.

In addition, Edey was one of only three high-major players to rank in the NCAA’s top 10 in both scoring and rebounding in the last 20 years, joining Michael Beasley and Kevin Durant.

Not bad company.

With his 2023 NBA Draft decision now in the books, Zach Edey will be able to focus on taking the next step with his game in an exciting new chapter.

More on the 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is set to take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Round 1 of the draft will be announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, while Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum is expected to handle the second round of picks.

To be eligible for the NBA Draft, players must be at least 19 years in age during the calendar year that the draft is held and at least one NBA season from their high school graduation date, or the date that would have been if they are not graduated. It is not required that player spend that one year playing college basketball, though. Players can play in either college, abroad, or the G League Ignite if they choose so.

While this is a significant change from what the rules once were, players are eligible to enter their names into the NBA Draft pool and explore their options by hiring an agent to go through the process, while still keeping their college eligibility. The deadline to make that move is on April 23 beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players have until June 12 at 5 p.m. ET to withdraw their name from the pool and return to college.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held on May 16, which is also the start of the NBA Conference Finals.