Purdue's Zach Edey declares for 2024 NBA Draft: Social media reacts to Boilermakers star's choice
What was expected for months became official on Tuesday: Purdue basketrball star Zach Edey’s decorated college career is over.
The Boilermakers’ big man, the reigning two-time national player of the year, has submitted paperwork to make him eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft, with Edey relaying that news to ESPN.
NEWS: Zach Edey, the consensus national player of the year and a projected lottery pick, has submitted paperwork to the league office making him eligible for the 2024 NBA draft, he told ESPN.
STORY: https://t.co/hpjf7DiK3Opic.twitter.com/M6rRJZQIWD— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 23, 2024
Edey averaged 25.2 points and 12.2 rebounds per game in 2023-24 while helping lead Purdue to its first Final Four since 1980 and its first national championship game since 1969. The Boilermakers lost to UConn 75-60 in the NCAA title game, with Edey finishing with 37 points and 10 rebounds in what would his final college game.
Edey was in his fourth season at Purdue, but had an extra year of eligibility remaining due to a waiver he and all other winter sport athletes received for playing during the pandemic-altered 2020-21 season.
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Edey declaring for the draft isn’t particularly surprising, as Boilermakers coach Matt Painter said in February that the 2023-24 season would be Edey’s final one with the program.
Still, it elicited plenty of reaction on social media from those in Indiana and beyond. Here’s a sampling:
A 7'4 center with a 7'10 wingspan, Zach Edey is one of the most decorated players in college basketball history. He made significant strides with his conditioning, mobility, passing and defensive versatility this season and says there's more to his game he's yet to show. https://t.co/Y3ICoIKi7cpic.twitter.com/MPsmdtNeL8
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 23, 2024
He ripped my begrudging respect from my arms. And he has it. One of the best to ever do it. Will be interested in his pro career. https://t.co/NSIjvIuMnM
— cheese (@CheesyCheesy3) April 23, 2024
Procedural. He was never coming back, to be clear. https://t.co/43lnTBscza
— Brian Neubert — GoldandBlack.com (@brianneubert) April 23, 2024
Let’s run it back https://t.co/17MERQ6L4Epic.twitter.com/D22Tzk58nV
— 77 (@OwnedByLuka) April 23, 2024
🥲 https://t.co/9DJUgzrlnrpic.twitter.com/fvbLa23BFX
— Captain Boiler (@CaptainBoiler) April 23, 2024
For a player who became as oddly polarizing as Edey, even beyond the Big Ten, the reaction to his NBA departure wasn't entirely positive.
was the paperwork called for three fouls when he touched it https://t.co/c97zEMKx78
— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) April 23, 2024
this draft class is really toast if he’s a lottery pick https://t.co/gtaZnA9oFL
— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) April 23, 2024
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Social media reacts as Purdue's Zach Edey declares for 2024 NBA Draft