Kentucky won a big commitment on Monday when Justin Edwards, a five-star wing, chose Tennessee’s Wildcats live at CBS Sports HQ.Ranked 2nd overall 2023 class by 247SportsEdwards is the third top 30 commitment in the UK and the second five-star pledge with guard Robert Dillingham.
With the overall outlook reclassifying No. 1 GG Jackson into the 2022 class, Edwards has emerged as one of the top candidates to take the top spot in the 2023 class. Among his main competitors for that honor is another Kentucky target of Guard DJ Wagner.
Edwards has a big advantage as Wildcats jumps to UConn and rises from 3rd to 2nd, no matter where they reach the final ranking. 247Sports team ranking For the class. Duke remains at the top of the rankings for now, but Wagner’s commitment could change that.
Before cutting the list down to Kentucky and Tennessee, Edwards also considered Auburn, Kansas, Maryland, Villanova, and the G League Ignite. The Philadelphia Imhotep Institute’s 6’7 star is considered the # 1 small forward in its class and owns a .9980 ranking in the 247SportsComposite ranking.
Edwards as a player
Edwards averaged 18.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, leading Imhotep to the city and state titles as a junior. His strong performance at Imhotep helped him jump from 12th to 3rd in the 2023 class 247Sports player rankings in May.
On the summer circuit, he will be in the team finals. Here’s a recent review of Edwards by Travis Branham of 247Sports:
“Edwards is the most balanced player in his class when firing on all cylinders. He is a 6’7 wing with length and athletic ability to dribble, pass and shoot. You can always attack yourself and rebound and defend at a high level. “
Kentucky brand
If British coach John Calipari is concerned about continuing on the recruitment trail following the exit of the stunning first-round NCAA tournament by Wildcats’ 15th-seeded St. Peters, this should calm it down. The end of the season was horrifying, especially following the 9-16 record of 2020-21, but Edwards’ commitment shows how strong the adoption of the BigBlueNation brand is.
Kentucky’s 2022 class, headlined by five-star prospects Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston, finished 14th overall in the 247Sports team rankings. With an overall outlook of 28th place committed by Edwards, Dillingham, and Reed Shepherd, Wildcats is now hunting hard to finish in the top-ranked class.
