How much weight did Zach Edey lose? Exploring motivation behind Purdue star's drastic change
The weight of a player can heavily affect their ability to play their sport at an elite level.
Zach Edey, the Purdue Boilermakers center, is one of college basketball's top stars. The Canadian center is predicted to be one of the top picks in the NBA draft and could help the Boilermakers win a national championship.
Edey is also one of college basketball's tallest players at 7 feet 4 inches. This means that Edey needs to consume a lot of calories to maintain his frame.
A recent article by ESPN said that Zach Edey ate more than 2000 calories every morning.
"This morning, I had a ham-and-cheese omelet. I had hash browns. I had some white toast. I had French toast with that. And then I went to Everbowl and I had a little Acai bowl,” Edey told ESPN.
This high-calorie intake had an impact on his weight, but Edey has recently gone on a weight loss journey to reduce his weight.
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How much weight has Zach Edey lost?
Throughout the 2022 season, Edey weighed 305 pounds. His weight loss then occurred during the off-season. Coming into the 2023 season, Edey is at 295 pounds.
This is a 10-pound loss. This may not seem like a lot, but considering that he is over seven feet tall and since muscle weighs more than fat, this will make a significant difference in his play style.
But, why did Edey decide to lose weight?
Why did Zach Edey lose weight?
In his interview with ESPN, Edey explained his reasoning as to why he lost weight.
That's part of the reason why I slimmed down, so I'm able to guard more and be more of a presence on defense and show that I can move my feet.”
According to him, Edey's weight loss is so he can become a better, more mobile player. This is important in the NBA, where he is going to be competing against some of the best basketball players in the world, who do anything in their attempts to score points. Being a strong defensive presence who is mobile and physical, like Edey wants to be, is a key way to stop not only an NBA offense but a top college basketball offense as well.
Edey is already seeing an improvement in his abilities, and the NBA is taking notes. There were 13 NBA scouts for Purdues’ game against Xavier on Monday night, all of whom were able to see a lighter Edey playing at his best.
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