Zach Edey and Reed Sheppard are considered rivals because of their contention for the NBA 2024 mock draft. The two have amassed amazing numbers for their respective teams and a comparison of the two would give an insight on who’s the better player.

As per ESPN, Sheppard has a better chance of being drafted in the NBA than Edey albeit the latter is one of the best scorers this season.

Zach Edey Rises

A name that usually surfaces above the normal tone when speaking of the mock draft is the Purdue Boilermaker’s center Zach Edey. Edey has propelled his team to win the Maui Invitational this year and has been the main alpha for his roster. He occupies the 46th position in the mock draft and might be drafted with the Boston Celtics.

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The Boilermakers have a 12-1 stat and they are positioned at fifth place in the Big Ten. He leads the team in three departments in stats of point scored average, rebounds average, and blocks average. The Boilermakers are lucky to deploy such a player who bears the onus of the entire team. He is been the alpha for them and has dropped exemplary points such that the entire team has rested on his exploits.

Edey has a magical 23.2 points per contest in the 13 games he has played so far with 10.2 rebounds per match and 2.4 blocks per outing. His season-best performance of 35 points has come twice once against the Northwestern Wildcats and another time against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Though the Boilermakers lost against the Wildcats, it was a show of Edey’s resilience. In terms of rebounds, he has soused 7 double-doubles. He has played the role of a conventional center to perfection.

However, where Edey slips is his shooting skills, especially three-pointers. He has potted zilch three-pointers in this season. Albeit he is commendable with free throw percentage and field goal percentage with 76.1% and 62.4% respectively.

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Edey does seem to be quite unparalleled with his stats and overall it has been his three-pointer shooting that might just take him off the ridge. 

Reed Sheppard: The Team Man

The Kentucky Wildcats have a 10-2 tally and occupy the first position in the SEC. A lot of it has been possible due to contributions from every member of the team. However, one name that stands out in ESPN’s NBA 2024 mock draft is their guard Reed Sheppard. Sheppard occupies the 25th spot in the mock draft and might be drafted with the Indiana Pacers. But Edey has performed better than Sheppard in terms of stats, and comparing the two would reveal a lot about their calibre.

Sheppard has an average of 12.5 points per game in the 12 matches he has played so far. He has acted as the fourth player in the team and is quite close to forward Tre Mitchell in terms of points. Additionally, he has nabbed 4.7 rebounds per contest with 4.3 assists per game. His assists average is only second to the other guard Rob Dillingham. Thus, Sheppard has shown incredible adjustment in his freshman year. Maybe it is due to this skill that he has been rated highly by the critics.

His astounding performances have come against the Stonehill Skyhawks and the UNC Wilmington Seahawks when he potted 25 points each in both games. In other games, he has played the supporting role to its best. If he doesn’t declare for the draft then surely his responsibilities with the Kentucky might increase from the next season onwards.

The 19-year-old also provides the Kentucky with a valuable shooting option. He has besotted a remarkable 57.8% field goal percentage and a 56% three-pointer percentage. Furthermore, he has an exceptional 90% free throw percentage. Perhaps, it has been his exemplary shooting capabilities that make him an ideal NBA prospect. His game will be more evident as the season progresses, and it remains to be seen if he can uphold his numbers with time.

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Both Edey and Sheppard are therefore leading in their own way and shaping NCAA basketball with their brilliance.