Kentucky freshman Justin Edwards has declared for the NBA draft, he announced on Instagram Thursday.
The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 21.5 minutes per game for the Wildcats this season.
Edwards was the No. 3 player in the class of 2023, according to 247Sports, but fellow freshmen Rob Dillingham and Reid Shepherd made the biggest impact for Kentucky this year, averaging 15.2 and 12.5 points, respectively. did.
In Bleacher Report's latest NBA mock draft, Edwards is projected to go to the Miami Heat with the 44th pick. The draft order hasn't been determined yet, but the Heat could be a good landing spot for Edwards given the team's excellent development of players like Caleb Martin and Duncan Robinson in recent years.
Edwards never emerged as a star during his one season at Kentucky, but he did show some promise, especially as a shooter. According to Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman, Edwards shot 38.8 percent on catch-and-shoots, 38.1 percent on pull-ups and 77.6 percent from the stripe.
His playmaking skills, like his defense, average less than one assist per game and could take some effort, but he has NBA size and could be a productive player on the right team. There is a possibility that it will become.
Edwards is one of several players the Wildcats will likely lose in this year's draft, as Dillingham and Shepard are both projected as top-10 picks in Bleacher Report's mock draft. Kentucky will also lose Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell to graduation.
But, as has been the case almost every season for Kentucky, the Wildcats boast a stacked recruiting class. They are No. 2 in the 2024 recruiting class, which includes Jaden Quaintance, No. 8 in the class, according to 247Sports.
Kentucky is a far cry from the team it was 10 years ago when it was a Final Four contender almost every year. The Wildcats have been eliminated from the tournament before the Sweet 16 the past three seasons, failing to advance to the weekend for the second time since the 2018-19 season. The Wildcats will be losing some valuable players next season, but will look to return to glory by relying on talented personnel.
