Memphis Grizzlies select Canadian C Zach Edey with ninth pick in NBA Draft | TSN

NEW YORK — Zach Edey has been selected ninth overall in the NBA Draft by the Memphis Grizzlies.

The 22-year-old centre from Toronto is the first Canadian to be drafted this year.

Edey averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and two assists over 39 games for the Purdue Boilermakers in the 2023-24 season.

His NCAA career average was 18.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 assists over four seasons with Purdue.

Those numbers are skewed lower as he started only twice in his freshman year and played half as many minutes per game that season.

Edey won the Naismith Award on April 7 as U.S. college basketball’s player of the year for a second time. He is only the third male player to win back-to-back Naismiths, joining Hall of Famers Ralph Sampson and Bill Walton.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 26, 2024.