Purdue Basketball Schedule Released: How do the Boilermakers stack up in the wake of Zach Edey's return?

The Purdue Boilermakers are a significant men's college basketball program and are going to be stronger with the return of center Zach Edey. He decided to withdraw from the 2023 NBA draft on Wednesday, retaining his eligibility to play for another season.

The tallest player in Big Ten history at 7-foot-4 is back, and Purdue, which went 29-6 last season, is looking to be a dominant program. But how do the Boilermakers stack up compared to the rest of the country? Let's take a look at how the season will wind up.

How good is Zach Edey?

Zach Edey has proven to be the best player in college basketball as he won the 2022-23 AP Player of the Year. In his junior season, he took the next step as a player and really dominated. Edey averaged 22.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.1 blocks in 31.7 minutes per game.

The jersey is back on the rack.

🇨🇦 One more year with @zach_edey. https://t.co/r6Qp22z2jY

There are a couple of fatal flaws in his game though as he is a below-the-rim player in an era when the floor is spread and centers need to be able to shoot. Edey's speed is not fast enough to compete at the next level right now. He is a heavier player, despite not having too much body fat as he is listed at 285 pounds.

If Zach Edey can show some improvement on both of those fronts, he could be an incredible player who wins the Naismith College Player of the Year for the second consecutive year since Ralph Sampson did it three times in a row from 1981-1983.

How will the Purdue Boilermakers do in 2023-24?

The Purdue Boilermakers' schedule has not been announced, but we know the opponents they will be facing. Here is the full list of the opponents for the 2023-24 season, and they should fare well here.

Last season, they ranked third in the final AP poll at the end of the regular season and were one of the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament but were upset by Fairleigh Dickinson. However, they dominated the regular season and should be able to do well with more experience and a dominant player down low. Edey led the program in scoring in 25 of its 35 games last year.

They were able to add guard Lance Jones from the Southern Illinois Salukis in the transfer portal. However, guard Brandon Newman is still in the NCAA transfer portal.

The Purdue Boilermakers should dominate during the regular season and make a serious stab at winning the NCAA championship. Zach Edey should be able to dominate once again and lead the team to dominance.