Justin Edwards (basketball, born 2003) explained

Justin Edwards
Position:Small forward
Height Ft:6
Height In:8
Weight Lb:203
League:NBA
Team:Philadelphia 76ers
Number:19
Birth Date:16 December 2003
Birth Place:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
High School:Imhotep Institute Charter
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
College:Kentucky (2023–2024)
Draft Year:2024
Career Start:2024
Years1:–present
Team1:Philadelphia 76ers
Years2:2024–present
Team2:→Delaware Blue Coats
Highlights:

Justin Te'jon Edwards (born December 16, 2003) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League.[1] [2] He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class.

Early life and high school career

Edwards grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and attended Imhotep Institute Charter High School.[3] He helped Imhotep win the Philadelphia City championship as a sophomore.[4] As a junior, Edwards averaged 18.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game and led the Panthers to the PIAA Class 5A state championship.[5] He played in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League following the season.[6] Edwards was selected to play in the 2023 McDonald's All-American Boys Game.[7] He was also selected to play for Team USA in the Nike Hoops Summit.[8] As a senior, Edwards averaged 17.9 points and 7.5 rebounds as the Panthers repeated as state champions and was named Mr. Pennsylvania Basketball.[9]

Recruiting

Edwards was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class, according to major recruiting services.[10] [11] He was rated as the #1 overall recruit in the nation by ESPN in January 2023.[12] On July 25, 2022, Edwards committed to playing college basketball for Kentucky after considering offers from Tennessee, Auburn, Kansas, Maryland, and Villanova.[13] He also considered playing professionally in the NBA G League.[14]

College career

Edwards enrolled at the University of Kentucky in June 2023.[15] During the summer before his freshman year he played for the Wildcats in the GLOBL JAM tournament in Canada and averaged 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals over four games as the team went undefeated and won the tournament.[16] Edwards averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 32 games played during his freshman season.[17] After the season, he declared for the 2024 NBA draft.[18]

Professional career

After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, Edwards signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers on July 4, 2024.[19]

Career statistics

College

|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24| style="text-align:left;"| Kentucky| 32 || 30 || 21.4 || .486 || .365 || .776 || 3.4 || .9 || .9 || .2 || 8.8

Personal life

Edwards' mother, Ebony Twiggs, played college basketball at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania and overseas in Portugal.[20]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dennis. Varney. Cameron. Drummond. UK’s Justin Edwards, once a possible No. 1 pick, goes undrafted but is headed to the 76ers. June 28, 2024. June 28, 2024.
  2. Web site: Tom. Ignudo. Philadelphia native Justin Edwards agrees to two-way deal with 76ers, report says - CBS Philadelphia. CBSNews.com. June 27, 2024. June 28, 2024.
  3. Web site: Philly forward Justin Edwards considering KU, five others. Kansas City Star. April 29, 2022. January 26, 2023.
  4. Web site: Imhotep’s Justin Edwards was impressed by Kentucky’s Big Blue Nation. Will the rising wing commit to his dream school?. Joey. Piatt. Philadelphia Inquirer. December 1, 2021. January 30, 2023.
  5. Web site: Why Justin Edwards became Kentucky’s latest five-star recruit in the Class of 2023. Kyle. Tucker. The Athletic. July 25, 2022. January 26, 2023.
  6. Web site: Kentucky basketball recruit Justin Edwards at Louisville EYBL. Lexington Herald Leader. May 30, 2022. January 30, 2023.
  7. Web site: Paul VI’s Hannah Hidalgo is a McDonald’s All American; Justin Edwards, D.J. Wagner, and Aaron Bradshaw also make cut. Isabella. DiAmore. Philadelphia Inquirer. January 24, 2023. January 26, 2023.
  8. Web site: Nike Hoop Summit to feature Imhotep’s Justin Edwards, Camden’s DJ Wagner, and Paul VI’s Hannah Hidalgo. Philadelphia Inquirer. February 14, 2023. February 15, 2023.
  9. Web site: Imhotep’s Justin Edwards named 2023 Mr. Basketball. The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 27, 2023. June 5, 2023.
  10. Web site: Justin Edwards, Top-Three Overall 2023 CBB Prospect, Commits to Kentucky. Nick. Selbe. SI.com. July 26, 2022. January 30, 2023.
  11. Web site: Kentucky Wildcats add another five-star pledge to 2023 college basketball recruiting class in Justin Edwards. Jeff. Borzello. ESPN.com. July 25, 2022. January 30, 2023.
  12. Web site: Imhotep’s Justin Edwards is the new No. 1 in ESPN’s basketball recruiting rankings. Aaron. Carter. Philadelphia Inquirer. January 20, 2023. January 26, 2023.
  13. Web site: Star basketball recruit Justin Edwards commits to Kentucky. Lexington Herald Leader. July 25, 2022. January 30, 2023.
  14. Web site: Imhotep star Justin Edwards narrows his list down to seven, including Villanova, the G League. Gustav. Elvin. Philadelphia Inquirer. April 28, 2022. January 30, 2023.
  15. Web site: LOOK: Justin Edwards arrives on Kentucky's campus. Tyler. Thompson. On3.com. June 5, 2023. June 6, 2023.
  16. Web site: How Kentucky basketball changed the conversation with its four wins in Canada. Kyle. Tucker. The Athletic. July 17, 2023. July 20, 2023.
  17. Web site: Kentucky basketball 2024-25 roster updates for John Calipari's program. The Courier-Journal. March 30, 2024. April 8, 2024.
  18. Web site: Imhotep's Justin Edwards declares for NBA draft after one season at Kentucky. Jeff. Neiburg. The Philadelphia Inquirer. April 4, 2024. April 8, 2024.
  19. Web site: PHILADELPHIA 76ERS SIGN JUSTIN EDWARDS TO TWO-WAY CONTRACT. NBA.com. July 4, 2024. July 5, 2024.
  20. Web site: Matt. Breen. Imhotep Charter’s Justin Edwards is Philly’s top high school player in 30 years. His mom worked two jobs to keep his dream alive.. Philadelphia Inquirer. February 24, 2023. February 28, 2023.

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