OMFB’s 12 best prospects in the 2024 NBA draft: Making a case for taking Zach Edey at No. 1

To say Purdue’s Zach Edey is the most polarizing prospect in the 2024 NBA draft would be a gigantic understatement.

Edey is a throwback center who plays in a phone booth. He’s an old-school, back-to-the-basket big man who uses his imposing size (7-4) and strength (300 pounds) to physically beat up and wear down his opponents. The 21-year-old Toronto native wasn’t just good in college. He was historically good. You’d have to dig deep into the basketball archives to find comparable performances. Edey put himself in the company of Walton, Alcindor, Ewing, Sampson, and Robinson.

Edey put up eye-popping statistics during his senior season at Purdue while leading the Boilermakers to the national championship game, where they lost to a stacked Connecticut squad. Edey dominated the competition throughout the NCAA tournament, including a highly anticipated matchup against UConn’s 7-2 center Donovan Clingan.

Edey scored 37 points on 15-of-25 shooting from the field and grabbed 10 rebounds while mostly being guarded by Clingan. Clingan’s Huskies won the game, but Edey clearly won his individual matchup against his fellow NBA prospect. Edey consistently moved Clingan during their battles in the low block. He was also able to finish over Clingan, who had been the tournament’s most impactful defensive player. Clingan, who had been averaging 3.1 blocks in the tournament, only had one blocked shot and picked up four fouls trying to slow down Edey.

“If Zach Edey is not like a lottery pick and a tremendous NBA player, then there’s something wrong with the NBA,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd. “They’re maybe not playing the right game at that level. This guy has been dominant, brings you back to Ralph Sampson, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson type of performances at that spot.”

Hurley continued: “The kid’s a special player and special players when they go to that next level, they add new skills quickly. So, I think he’s going to get to the NBA, increase his range, shooting, his passing, his dribbling and he’ll adapt. That’s what special players do.”

Despite the gaudy numbers and the undeniable measurable, the vast majority of NBA scouts and basketball experts remain skeptical about Edey’s game and how it could translate to the next level. The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, and longtime draft expert and current ESPN insider Jonathan Givony all have Edey outside the top 10 in their latest mock drafts.

The concerns are consistent across the board. Not mobile enough. Can’t guard in space. Will struggle in ball-screen situations. Doesn’t shoot enough 3s to space the floor. Overall game won’t translate to the modern NBA game.

The vast majority of the concerns are valid. But many experts may be missing the obvious. They are so fixated on what Edey can’t do, they’re overlooking the amazing things that he can do. He is a skilled big man with soft hands. His baseball background shows as he catches almost everything thrown at him. He also rebounds well in traffic because of his strong hands. These traits are transferable to the next level.

One of the most underrated parts of Edey’s game is his competitive spirit. He meets the moment. He plays his best when his best is needed. He took on the challenge of guarding North Carolina State’s DJ Burns and shut him down. He took on the Clingan challenge and dropped 37 on the best team in college basketball. Each time a challenge is put in front of him, he has embraced it.

There’s also no doubts about his work ethic. He has greatly improved from year to year, especially his mobility and conditioning. He played the most minutes of any player in the NCAA tournament. He played 119 out of a possible 120 minutes in the Elite Elite, Final Four, and national championship game.

Being doubted is nothing new to Edey. He has been overlooked his entire athletic career. He is unfazed by the countless question marks about his game and the overly critical scouting reports. He delivered a thoughtful answer when reporters asked about his college legacy.

“You can say anything you want about my game, you can say anything you want about how I play,” he said. “But I don’t think you could ever say I never stepped on the court and didn’t give it my 100%. I never took a night off, I never took a practice off for four years. I left everything on the court every time I stepped on. That’s the only thing I want to be remembered for.”

Basketball execs and the media gravitate to narratives. The narrative these days is about pace and space. It’s about positionless basketball and an emphasis on analytics.

But why keep following trends? It should be acceptable to be different. It’s OK to turn left when everyone else is turning right. Drafting Edey in the top half of the lottery would be a move straight from left field. But it’s the right move. It’s the smart basketball move.

Basketball is still a big man’s game. In case you haven’t noticed, three of the five best players in the NBA are centers. Outside of the Golden State Warriors, championship teams are built around centers. Edey is a strong foundational piece to build around.

OneManFastBreak.net ranks the 10 best prospects in the 2024 NBA draft (list is updated through April 10 with the expectation that these players are declaring for the draft).

1-Zach Edey, center, Purdue
NBA comparison: Yao Ming
Scouting report: A common comparison to Edey is former Iowa center Luka Garza — a ridiculous comparison when you think about it. Garza is nearly five inches shorter and 50 pounds lighter than Edey. Edey is also far more skilled than Garza, who is extremely limited and doesn’t possess Edey’s soft hands. Edey took an unusual path en route to becoming the best big man in college basketball. He played baseball and hockey as a youngster and didn’t play basketball until he attended IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. After playing under the shadow of Jaden Ivey as a sophomore, Edey raised his profile with an outstanding junior season at Purdue. He bumped up his scoring average (from 14.4 to 22.3), rebounding average (from 7.7 to 12.2), while maintaining an extremely high field goal percentage (62.8%). He raised it up a notch from his junior year to his senior year, leading the Big Ten in scoring (25.2), rebounding (12.9) and field goal percentage (62.3%). He shot a respectable 71.1% from the free throw line while attempting 11.2 foul shots per game. He was even better during March Madness. He scored 177 points (29.5) in six NCAA tournament games, tying Princeton’s Bill Bradley for second-most points scored in a single tournament. “When you look at his numbers against the greats, there’s no question he’s in the conversation,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said of his All-American. In a three-game stretch during the season, Edey became the first Big Ten player since Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson to score 30-plus points, grab 10-plus rebounds in three consecutive games. There are only three players in NCAA history to score over 2,000 points, grab 1,000 rebounds, block 200 shots, and shoot at least 60% from the field. That list includes Edey, David Robinson, and Patrick Ewing. Pretty good company.

2-Alex Sarr, forward-center, Perth Wildcats (Australia NBL)
NBA comparison: Evan Mobley
Scouting report: French teenager Alex Sarr, 19, is an Eiffel Tower-like big who opened some eyes in Henderson, Nev., after his Perth Wildcats took on the G League Ignite in an exhibition game that was supposed to showcase Ignite’s top guys Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis. Instead, the 7-footer with a 7-5 wingspan stole the show and became the talk of the showcase event, averaging 21.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, six blocks, and two assists in two games. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said Sarr’s “continued improvement this season, overall consistency and outstanding NBA fit playing a similar role to the likes of Evan Mobley and Chet Holmgren makes him a safe choice currently as the potential No. 1.” Mobley is the most common comparison to Sarr, but there’s a lot of Chris Bosh in his game. Like Bosh, Sarr is comfortable operating in the high post — now commonly referred to as the “nail.” Sarr began his basketball odyssey with Real Madrid. He possesses a rare blend of length, size, instincts, and reactivity. He displayed all of those traits when he was matched up gainst Ignite’s Ron Holland. Holland, who is considered by many scouts to be a top-10 pick, couldn’t shake Sarr despite throwing him everything but the kitchen sink. Sarr’s father, Massar, is a former professional basketball player from Senegal, while his older brother, Olivier, currently plays in the NBA for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Alex Sarr is far from a finished product. He still needs to gain upper body strength and has to build up leg strength to be able to explode off the floor. But in a relatively weak draft class, Sarr might be at the top of the class.

3-Stephon Castle, guard, Connecticut
NBA comparison: Jimmy Butler
Scouting report: Castle, 19, wasn’t your ordinary freshman. He had a certain maturity about him. UConn head coach Dan Hurley called Castle “the anti-entitled five-star freshman.” He does nothing but help his team win, whether it’d be setting up teammates or scoring on his own or stopping the other team’s best perimeter player. UConn center Donovan Clingan calls Castle one of the best on-ball defenders. He utilizes his 6-6 frame to his advantage. He plays with an edge and embraces competition, qualities often found in players with championship rings. Castle bottled up Northwestern’s all-conference guard Boo Buie in the second round of the NCAA tournament, as Buie shot just 2-for-15 from the field and finished with nine points. Because the Huskies are a balanced team with a boatload of talent on the roster, Hurley said Castle didn’t get to show everything in his bag. He waited until March Madness to unleash the full arsenal. Castle, who averaged 10.7 points during the regular season, saved his best when the Huskies needed it most during the Final Four. He scored a season-high 21 points in UConn’s hard-fought win over Alabama, while also hounding ‘Bama guard Mark Sears all night. Castle plays with controlled aggression on both ends. You can’t speed him up on offense, and he’ll make you rush on defense. About the only weakness in his game is his 3-point shooting. He shot just 26% from behind the arc. But everything else about his game is pro level.

4-Donovan Clingan, center, Connecticut
NBA comparison: DeAndre Jordan
Scouting report: The big man from Bristol, Conn., put his stamp on Connecticut’s dominant Big East season with a 22-point, 16-rebound performance in leading the Huskies to a convincing win in the Big East tournament championship game over Marquette. It was UConn’s third win over Marquette in the season and it was the third straight game in which Clingan outplayed fellow NBA prospect Oso Ighodaro. “There’s a bunch of other centers that have gaudier numbers. He’s one of the most impactful players in the country. Top two, top three most valuable players in the country, that kid,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said about his 7-foot-2, 280-pound center. Clingan, 20, finished his sophomore season at UConn strong after returning from a midseason foot injury that forced him to miss a month. His presence in the middle was one of the many reasons the Huskies earned a No. 1 seeding in the NCAA tournament and captured the school’s sixth national championship. Clingan is a superb finisher off pick-and-rolls (he shot 64% from the field) and he’s also a big-time lob threat. Clingan, who has a 7-7 wingspan, is far from polished on the offensive end but he can immediately make an impact on the defensive end. Teams who are willing to be patient could reap the reward of having a center set solid screens, runs the floor, and protects the rim.

5-Dalton Knecht, guard, Tennessee
NBA comparison: Bogdan Bogdanovic
Scouting report: Dalton Knecht helped his draft stock with a good showing in the NCAA tournament for the Tennessee Volunteers. Knecht began his D1 career at Northern Colorado where he averaged 20.2 points per game. He used the extra COVID year to play one year in Knoxville, where he opened more eyes and greatly improved his draft stock. He has good positional size (6-6, 204) but he is 23 years old and may have already hit his ceiling. Teams looking for a superstar player might be greatly disappointed. However, those teams looking for a sniper who can occasionally put the ball on the deck then Knecht might be a fit. He chose Tennessee because Rick Barnes has a reputation of being a defensive coach. Defense isn’t Knecht’s forte, but it has improved under Barnes. Shooting the ball is Knecht’s favorite jam. In his final college game, Knecht scored 37 points in 37 minutes and buried six 3-pointers in a loss to Zach Edey and Purdue in the Elite Eight. During his super senior season at Tennessee, Knecht shot 46% from the field and 39% from 3-point range. The SEC player of the year is sneaky good athletically. He’s able to create his own shot and can score in traffic. Knecht may not have the highest of ceilings compared to younger draft prospects, but he’s a plug-and-play player whose game translates well in today’s 3-point happy NBA.

6-Matas Buzelis, forward, G League Ignite
NBA comparison: Franz Wagner
Scouting report: An ankle injury cost Buzelis, 19, the first three months of the G League season, but when he came back he flashed the impressive ball-handling and shot-making abilities that made him one of the top prospects coming out of Sunrise Christian Academy. In his one season with G League Ignite, Buzelis averaged 14.3 points and 6.9 rebounds. He shot 44% from the field, but made just 27.3% of his 3-point shots, which is somewhat concerning. Buzelis is more of a slasher than a pure shooter. He can create his own shot off the bounce, preferably going to his left, and has a point-guard mentality as a 6-9 forward. He can play the catch-and-shoot role, but that part of his game is still evolving. He was a better shooter in high school than in the G League, so there’s enough evidence that he can become a solid shooter at the pro level. He has a little bit of Franz Wagner — Orlando Magic’s talented young star — in his game. Buzelis grew up in Chicago, but his bloodline runs deep in Lithuanian basketball. His grandfather Petras played for Zalgiris Kaunas for more than a decade and his dad Aidas played professionally for a number of teams in the Lithuanian league. This is a major plus for Matas Buzelis, given the impressive list of Lithuanians who’ve played in the NBA such as Domantas Sabonis, Arvydas Sabonis (Domantas’ father), Sarunas Marciulonis, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Jonas Valanciunas. The Ignite hasn’t had a good track record of late when it comes to NBA prospects, but there’s an Ignite player from this class who is worth a lottery pick, it’s Buzelis.

7-Tidjane Salaun, forward, Cholet Basket (France LNB)
NBA comparison: Nic Batum
Scouting report: Salaun is a fascinating prospect, especially for teams needing a space-the-floor big forward. He’s got superior positional size at 6-10 with a 7-1 wingspan. Those spicy measurables would make NBA execs drool on their notepads. He also plays with a ton of energy on both ends. Offensively, 60% of his baskets are either 3s or dunks. He doesn’t have much of an in-between game offensively yet, but he has shown the necessary traits to be a superb defensive player. He understands how to use his immense wingspan to deflect balls and contest shots. In a game against Saint-Quentin in the French LNB, Salaun started the game by intercepting a pass and finishing with a dunk. He ended the game in the same fashion as he picked off a pass near halfcourt and finished the play with a crowd-pleasing dunk to seal a 73-69 win for Cholet. ESPN draft guru Jonathan Givony posted this on Twitter about Salaun: “It’s easy to see why Tidjane Salaun is a riser on NBA draft boards, standing 6-11 with an athletic frame, long arms, fluid movements and dynamic shooting ability. It’s rare to see an 18-year-old shoot the ball with the confidence, range and versatility Salaun has all season.” Most mock drafts have Salaun somewhere in the middle first round or late first round. Given the lack of star power in this year’s class, it might be worth rolling the dice on Salaun. He could grow into an outstanding two-way player.

8-Zaccharie Risacher, forward, JL Bourg-en-Bresse (France LNB)
NBA comparison: Trey Murphy
Scouting report: Zaccharie Risacher is the son of former French League star Stéphane Risacher, who won a silver medal for France at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Zaccharie Risacher turns 19 two months before the draft and he is fast-rising name in many mock drafts. Some draft experts have Risacher near the top of the draft. But before teams get too excited about Risacher, there are some glaring weaknesses that needed to be addressed. He is not an explosive athlete and has average length for his size (6-9). He has shown some ability to create his own shot, but his chart doesn’t project 25-point scorer at the next level because his handle isn’t elite. He’s more of a 3-and-D wing who could be a solid NBA starter. His NBA comparison is Pelicans forward Trey Murphy. Because he is the son of a former pro player, Risacher has a good feel for the game and has good instincts. He could still make another leap, but it’s a big roll of a dice if you take him in the upper half of the lottery.

9-Rob Dillingham, guard, Kentucky
NBA comparison: Darius Garland
Scouting report: Dillingham, 19, is well traveled. He is a native of Hickory, N.C., and gained attention as high school sophomore. He transferred to Donda Academy for his junior year. Donda is the much-maligned private school in Simi Valley, Calif., founded by Kanye West. Dillingham spent his senior year in Overtime Elite, a pro league for late high school and early college-level players. He decommitted from North Carolina State and enrolled at Kentucky in 2022. Dillingham has earned his way playing for John Calipari. Kentucky’s 2023-24 squad was armed with high-profile prospects like Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner. Dillingham performed better than Edwards and Wagner despite coming off the bench. Dillingham is a 6-2 combo guard with a boatload of confidence. He is a three-level scorer who isn’t afraid to take and make tough shots. He’s got some Jamal Murray — who also played for Calipari at Kentucky — in his game, but a better athlete. A closer comparison is another former Kentucky product Tyrese Maxey. Dillingham possesses the same type of quick, shifty moves that Maxey is known for, and Dillingham might have a tighter handle. Kentucky assistant coach Chuck Martin, who worked as Calipari’s assistant at Memphis, had high praise for Dillingham. “He’s as dynamic of a player I’ve been around in 25 years,” Martin said, “and I’ve been around Derrick Rose, been around some really good players.”

10-Cody Williams, forward, Colorado
NBA comparison: Jerame Grant
Scouting report: Cody Williams is a late bloomer. There were few preseason publications that had him slotted in the first round of the 2024 NBA draft. After one impressive season at Colorado, Williams opened some eyes and could be the hidden gem teams are coveting in an unpredictable draft. Williams is a 6-8, 180-pound forward with tantalizing 7-foot wingspan. He is the younger brother of Oklahoma City Thunder standout Jalen Williams. An ESPN draft expert calls Cody a “high-level, two-way wing” who makes “decisive, fluid and efficient” movements. He’s versatile and has untapped potential. A host of injuries prevented Williams from fully displaying his full potential. He suffered wrist and ankle injures and fractured an orbital bone that required him wearing a mask. Despite the physical setbacks, Williams flashed what he could be at the next level and he is confident his arrow will keep pointing up. He made the Pac-12 All-Freshman team, averaging 11 points per game and shooting 41% from the 3-point line. “I don’t really feel like I have anything to prove, just because I’ve already put in the work. I’ve already done what I need to do, my due diligence in terms of working off the court,” Williams told ESPN.

11-Isaiah Collier, guard, USC
NBA comparison: Collin Sexton
Scouting report: Collier’s freshman season at USC didn’t go as planned. Expectations were super high for Collier and the Trojans entering the season. But injuries and some bad losses have led to a disappointing year. Collier missed four weeks after suffering a hand injury and that’s when the Trojans’ season fell apart. But since coming back from injury, Collier has flashed all the skills that made him the No. 1 high school recruit. The 6-5 combo guard is a tough cover when he goes downhill. He plays with a lot of physicality. He’s a bigger version of Collin Sexton both offensively and defensively. And so far, nothing suggests that Collier is not willing to do the work. USC coaches raved about his work ethic and his appetite for improvement. He’s open to be coached hard, and Andy Enfield and his staff have done a good job in developing Collier in his one season with the Trojans. In a double overtime loss against Colorado, Collier finished with 25 points, nine rebounds and three steals. He cleaned up some of the turnover problems that plagued him earlier in the season and also improved his outside shooting. Collier’s freshman season with the Trojans didn’t go as planned but he did finish strong, including a statement performance in USC’s upset win over Pac-12 champion Arizona at Galen Center in which he took over the game in crunch time.

12-Ron Holland, forward, G League Ignite
NBA comparison: Terrance Mann
Scouting report: Holland might be the most underrated five-star prospect we have in this year’s draft. He came out of high school (Duncansville, Texas) as a top-three recruit, made the McDonald’s High School All-American squad, and earned a spot on Team USA for the Nike Hoop Summit. He opted to play for the G League Ignite where he averaged a team-best 19.5 points per game and 2.4 steals. Holland absorbed some of the blame for Ignite’s historically awful season (2-32), and rightfully so since he and Matas Buzelis were the biggest names on the squad. Skeptics focused on Holland’s porous 3-point shooting (23.9%) and turnovers (3.5), but they have missed some of the positive things he can bring to the table such as good positional size and athleticism. Holland also has a high motor and plays hard on defense, which translates to the NBA. If he can improve his shooting, the 6-8 forward could be a good rotational player who can compete right away for playing time.