Vicky Graff Photo
Perhaps the biggest surprise of Kentucky’s basketball season is that freshman Justin Edwards has played only a combined 27 minutes in the last two games.
He’s the highest ranked player in UK’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class. He was even projected as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Typically that would mean extended minutes for Edwards based on how Calipari normally uses high-profile recruits. However, Edwards simply has not been one of UK’s best players so far this season.
He is averaging 9.6 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 45.1 percent from the field. He’s hitting only 25 percent from 3-point range and averaging under one assist per game for a high-scoring team with a lot of very good passers.
However, despite Edwards lack of recent playing time, the Kentucky coach is not about ready to give up on Edwards still developing into a special player.
“Justin was really good today. He’s getting better,” Calipari said on his radio show Monday night. “He’s got to have a little bit of a breakthrough. He knows.
“I love coaching him, and he’s going to get there. Sometimes it’s not on our timeline.”
Perhaps playing only 14 minutes against Penn in his homecoming could have been wake-up class for Edwards. He also got just 13 minutes in last week’s win over North Carolina mainly because of his porous 3-point defense. However, he did get four offensive rebounds in his limited playing time. He finished with eight points and a team-high six rebounds.
“He should be the best defender on our team, the most active player, who can still score and do stuff,” Calipari said of Edwards.
“He’s got to be that next guy (to break out).”
5 Responses
Little news about big Z, the word is he may head back to Europe after first of the year if he doesn’t hear anything from NCAA. Again NCAA always put a knife to our program.
The team already has 6 players averaging double digit scoring and Edwards is right there too. Thiero is just under 8 points. I am not sure there is room for a "breakout" performance unless it comes at the expense of the team. He may have a game or two where he scores 15 or 16 points, but I see him hovering around the 10 to 12 ppg average. A breakout season for him would be that of averaging 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, while maintaining 1 turnover and 10 ppg. Thiero apppears more likely to see improved numbers as we near SEC play. With Bradshaw and Onyenso returning, there just isn’t a lot of room for anyone to see a breakout season since those 2 will most likely be the ones breaking out.
Is it fair to the other players like Thiero and Onyenso who are playing hard and so much better, to keep hoping Edwards breaks out? I hope he comes around, but he is running out of time and he better do something fast. I don’t want to give up on any player, but you need to be fair to everyone, not just Cal’s favorites!
In due time…
Could be just like Livingston & end up in the G if he gets pushed off. He’s missed a few wide open jumpers but….he’s only a freshman. Old school thinking coming from the Joe B. Hall frame of mind. I think many of these guys had better stick around and bulk up. The NBA has some pretty big dudes.