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Justin Edwards was the highest ranked player in Kentucky’s No 1-ranked recruiting class and was even being projected as a potential No. 1 overall NBA draft pick by one mock draft before the season began.
Edwards has not been UK’s best freshman through 14 games. He’s started every game and averages 9.1 points — sixth on the team — and 4.2 rebounds per game. He has 12 assists, 14 steals, 14 turnovers and five blocks. He’s shooting 46 percent overall from the field but only 23.7 percent (9-for-38) from 3. He’s also only got to the foul line 22 times — three times less than Adou Thiero who has played about 100 fewer minutes than Edwards.
Edwards had just four points on 2-for-7 shooting, 0-for-3 from 3, and four rebounds in Tuesday’s win over Missouri but coach John Calipari has not even thought of giving up on his star recruit. Edwards’ best game was a 16-point outing against Texas A&M Commerce — a team barely in the top 300 in Division I basketball.
After the game, John Calipari took the stand and made sure everyone knew that Edwards’ emergence was coming soon enough.
“In a month from now, you will all say, ‘Wow, this is what they were talking about.’ He’s working really, really hard.”
“He (Edwards) made some plays. He banked one on the corner (of the backboard). And then he came back in the second half and missed it and we stuck with him and I want him to try to play through it,” Calipari said after the Missouri game.
“It’s not what I’m saying. It’s what he is saying to himself. What is the inner talk? You are not making every shot, so stop. If you miss, just keep playing and get a back force and block a shot and defend. Him in transition.”
However, here comes the Calipari swag that Kentucky fans can only hope turns out to be true.
“He is playing good but in a month from now you will all say, ‘Wow, this is what they were talking about.’ He is working really, really hard,” the Kentucky coach said. “But the stuff doesn’t happen on our time, or his time. It doesn’t.
“Sometimes you have to go three months, four months, and all of a sudden you start breaking through and then you go. Most of the stuff they have to work through. If they are taking, like If I have to build their confidence.”
3 Responses
He has it in himself. In the Bahamas he had a very poor game 1 and came back in a big way for the last 3 games. It would be nice if he can find that mojo again with Thiero being out.
Why does Cal start a guy just based on high school accomplishments and perceived future production instead of actual game performance? Not only does Edwards hurt his team when he’s on the court (lowest +/- of the starters), starting when he knows he doesn’t deserve it has to weigh on him. When 3 guys coming off the bench perform much better. I think Cal would be wise to let him come off the bench until he is motivated to give 100% every minute he steps on the court.
With all due respect, I trust our Hall of Fame coach to decide on who starts and his HS accomplishments have no bearing whatsoever on staring him. If he continues to struggle when Thiero gets back, he may come off the bench. We are arguably the hottest team in the country, so why mess with the lineup and rotations. Go Cats!