7ft, 300lbs menace Zach Edey draws Shaquille O’Neal comparisons ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft

Zach Edey is one of the most well-known names in the 2024 NBA Draft despite the fact he’s projected to be a mid-first round pick.

Edey lit up the college basketball scene and was the star of the 2024 NCAA Tournament that ended in defeat for his Purdue Boilermakers in the national championship against UConn.

The 7ft 4in, 300lbs Canadian phenom – who’s taller than San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama – is a unique talent with a throwback skill-set akin to the great NBA big men of yesteryear.

He’s an intimidating inside presence and low-post menace who can rebound the ball until the cows come home and knows how to block a shot or two.

Unfortunately, the 7-footer is a non-factor when it comes to threes and outside shooting. For that reason, NBA scouts have expressed concerns over Edey’s ability to transition from the college game to the pros where perimeter shooting is paramount.

Executives are still trying to figure out Edey’s potential and what his ceiling might be on the eve of the draft.

The former Boilermakers star has apparently impressed during private workouts, with one playing even comparing him to a Los Angeles Lakers legend.

“One player who worked out against Zach Edey compared it to ‘trying to guard Shaquille O’Neal,'” NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony noted.

Givony added, “Zach Edey’s combination of size, power and intensity has been difficult to contain in a private workout setting, as there simply aren’t many players in this draft equipped to slow him down.”

It’s certainly a bold comparison.

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To be fair to the unnamed player, his assessment isn’t totally wide of the mark.

Edey is a legit 300lbs, 7-footer, just like Shaq was when he entered the 1992 NBA Draft.

Edey also put up Shaq-like numbers during March Madness this year, becoming the first player to have three straight games with at least 20 points and three blocks at The Big Dance since O’Neal in 1991 and 1992.

The ‘Inside the NBA’ host caught wind of Edey’s performances and christened him with a new nickname.

“I’m changing your name to Zachille O’Neal,” The Big Diesel said.

Like O’Neal, Edey does his best work inside the paint, enjoyed a stellar college career and couldn’t shoot a three if his life depended on it.

But that’s about where the similarities end.

Shaq was viewed as a generational talent coming out of LSU in ’92 and was the consensus No. 1 overall pick in that year’s draft.

Despite his massive frame, The Big Aristotle was freakishly athletic and mobile, and had no problems getting up and down the court on a nightly basis (at least in his prime).

Edey is way stiffer and nowhere near as quick or explosive as Shaq was during his early years.

In all likelihood, the 22-year-old probably won’t even be the first big man of the board in this year’s draft – that will probably be French star Alex Sarr – and is likely to fall to the Lakers at No. 17, according to ESPN’s latest mock draft.

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Edey is certainly no scrub, though, despite his obvious limitations.

He won the National Player of the Year Award the past two seasons, becoming the first player to win back-to-back awards since Bill Walton in 1971 and 1972, and dropped 37 points in a valiant but losing effort to the Huskies in the national title game.

He may not be for every team but he certainly has value, which is why he’s drawing interest from a number of NBA teams ahead of the draft.

“Edey is drawing interest from teams that are drafting in front of and behind Miami, with every squad in the back half of the lottery after San Antonio said to be in the market for a center,” Givony writes.

“Utah, Portland, Sacramento and the Los Angeles Lakers were some of Edey’s latest stops on the workout circuit.”

The Lakers are a particularly interesting potential landing spot for Edey – and would make the Shaq comparisons even more compelling.

The purple and gold just hired a rookie head coach in JJ Redick and hold the 17th and 55th picks in this year’s draft, which could be used on Edey.

Anthony Davis has also expressed his desire to play at power forward next season, leaving a center-sized hole in the Lakers’ starting five.

Edey could potentially fill that front-court spot alongside Davis to form one of the most intimidating duos in all of basketball.

Ultimately, the youngster is well aware of what he brings to the table and thinks he can be a valuable asset to any number of NBA teams.

“Every team needs someone to hold down the paint,” Edey told reporters at the NBA combine.

“You need someone to grab rebounds, someone to block shots and finish lobs. Not everything has to be with me having the ball in my hands and in the post-up.”

“Obviously at Purdue there were a lot of post-ups, but if you really watch the game, there’s plenty of ball screens, seals, hit the indirect and go back in, and that’s what they run in the NBA and that’s what I can bring to any team.”

The first night of the 2024 NBA Draft will take place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on June 26, while the second night will come from ESPN’s Seaport District Studios in Manhattan on June 27.