Brandon Miller vs Zach Edey: Stats, profile, record, and evaluating who has better NBA Draft potential ahead of 2023 March Madness
As the NCAA Tournament rapidly approaches, there is still a lot at stake for all the players and teams involved. Brandon Miller and Zach Edey are right at the top of the list as they sit on two of the top contending teams while holding aspirations of making the NBA leap at the season's conclusion.
With teams sure to be taking a close watch and the June 22 NBA draft inching closer, which NCAA standout will hear his name called first when the time arrives?
Who is Brandon Miller?
A freshman phenom at Alabama, Brandon Miller has had one of the most exciting seasons in all of college basketball. Through 30 games, he is averaging 19.6 points and 8.0 rebounds. The 6-foot-9 forward also is shooting 41.7% on 3-pointers while attempting 7.2 per game.
His individual success has been vital to second-ranked Alabama's 26-4 record, which gives them their best winning percentage since the 1955-56 season. The team is just two wins shy of the program's record for a season and has a strong chance of securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
NBA scouts have also noted Miller's strong play, and he looks to have the inside track of being the first college player to be selected. After coming into the year as a projected lottery pick, Miller has done enough to separate himself from a number of other standouts.
While Frenchman Victor Wembanyama and G League standout Scoot Henderson seem to already be labeled as the top two prospects, Miller has a strong case to be the third pick.
Brandon Miller just had one of the best performances of the college season amid the controversy: 41 points with the game-tying shot at the end of regulation and the game-winning layup in overtime. https://t.co/81kNMM4B5r
The greatest concern with Miller falls off the court as he is connected in a serious court case. Fellow Alabama player Darius Miles was one of two men charged with capital murder in January for an altercation that resulted in the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old woman. Miller, according to the school and his attorney as well as his deposition, transported the murder weapon and was present at the scene of the shooting.
Miller, who has cooperated with investigators, has not been charged with any crime, but his involvement still could raise red flags for NBA teams.
Who is Zach Edey?
A 7-foot-4 big man from Purdue, it is not easy to miss Zach Edey on the court. The Purdue standout has taken strides forward in each of his three seasons in college and is having a terrific year. He is averaging 22.1 ppg, 13.1 rpg and 2.3 blocks per game.
Edey has been vital to fifth-ranked Purdue's success. The Boilermakers (25-5) are also seen as a threat to win the NCAA Tournament and have the inside track on a top seed.
While Edey looks to be running away with the NCAA Player of the Year race, his NBA ceiling is significantly lower than Miller's. His production looks like that of a top talent, but concerns with his ability to move and defend outside the paint will make teams nervous.
Zach Edey showed out again in @BoilerBall's huge win over Duke 💪 https://t.co/XcQLYmH3ah
In another era, Edey may have been seen as a building block of a franchise. But in today's NBA, it will be difficult to grow into more than a role player. Edey is projected as a second-round pick, and while he has seen his stock rise throughout the season, there is still a solid chance that he will go undrafted entirely.
Could March Madness change either's NBA stock?
Legends are made in March, and each of these players has a chance to make a statement in the NCAA Tournament.
For Edey, it will mean leading Purdue on a deep tournament run and showcasing a more diverse ability in his play. He already seems to have changed the minds of some NBA scouts, and a strong tournament performance could cement his spot on draft night.
For Miller, it means continuing to do what he has been doing. He has scored 21 or more points in three of his last four games, including a 41-point explosion against South Carolina. His style of play is perfect for the modern NBA, and basketball has become a wing-dominant sport.
If he can lead Alabama on a deep run and continue putting forth the impressive efforts that have become normal for him, Miller has a chance to jump into the conversation for the top two picks.