Former IMG Academy assistant says Zach Edey “kept receipts” from doubters

MEMPHIS, Tenn — Trey Draper has worn many hats, from his playing days at Mitchell High School and the University of Memphis.

To working with one of the most electric point guards in the NBA, Ja Morant.

Before working hands-on with Morant, Draper was an assistant coach at IMG Academy and coached Grizzlies first-round draft pick Zach Edey.

Draper was one of the first coaches to see the potential in Edey, whose organized basketball journey started seven years ago.

While Edey was at IMG he had to fight for every opportunity with the team stacked with future pros such as Mark Williams, Jarace Walker, Jaden Springer, Jalen Johnson, and Moussa Diabate.

“He’s stayed on his journey, Zach is one of those guys that kept receipts to say, ‘Hey, I’ve been counted out and now I’m the ninth pick in Memphis.’ I think it’s the perfect spot for he’s going to write his own story,” said Draper.

In a short amount of time, Edey has gone from fighting for minutes as a reserve in high school, to a two-time National Player of the Year recipient while at Purdue and one of the greatest college basketball players of all time.

“Important people that have always supported me, like my teammates, my coaches, my mom, my dad, my brother, my coach from high school, like everybody that supported me and believed in me and gave me a chance. Especially thankful for them,” said Edey.

Edey has faced his fair share of criticism about how his game will transfer to the NBA, but if you ask Draper he believes Edey is just tapping into his potential.

“You put him out there with Morant, Desmond Bane, and with Jaren and the sky’s the limit. I like his potential and we have a spot for him. So I’m excited to see what happens,” said Draper.

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