Who is Justin Edwards? A Look at the 6’8 Guard’s College Journey & Connection with Anthony Edwards Before the NBA Draft

The 20-year-old Kentucky Wildcats player Justin Edwards will not get the flashiness at the NBA draft this year that he might have expected throughout his basketball career yet. The 6’8″ footer wing from Philadelphia decided to appear in this year’s NBA draft and hire an agent for the respective purpose. In addition to that, he also maintained consistency in his performance, as he averaged 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 21.4 ppg. Edwards is quite thinking about his future as he considers the current situation difficult due to his past experiences.

Justin Edwards was quite popular at the start of his college career as he entered as a five-star prospect at the University of Kentucky. In addition to that, the Pennsylvania native was the no. 1 small forward and no. 3 national recruit. He faced some adversity at the start as the former Wildcats proved his mettle in the second half of his one-year tenure. One of the most memorable performances from his college career with the Wildcats was the one against Alabama. He scored perfect 10-10 from the field, tallying 28 points in that game.

Edwards’ popularity was not so futile as he was the highest-ranked signee in the 2023 recruiting class. Even CBS Sports picked him up as the top overall pick last year. However, things went south when the winger joined Lexington using his collegiate powers. He could not get past the double-digit scoring for nine straight games, disturbing his pace. Thereby, he wasn’t even a letter pick this year. As per the Athletic, he might landed by the Denver Nuggets for the 56th overall pick.

Anthony Edwards is a close kin of Justin Edwards?

A question that generally pops up in the mind of NBA fanatics is whether Justin Edwards, in some way, is related to the Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards. Most of the time, the factors that imply such speculation are the same nicknames and the position they play on the court. Well, it might be disappointing to hear for the speculators, but Justin is not even remotely related to the Wolves guard despite sharing the same surname.

Even the conditions that they grew up in are not similar. Justin’s mom, Ebony Twiggs, was a hooper and MVP of the Philadelphia Public League championship game. However, Anthony does not share such a fate as he is from a non-athletic background. The stature of Justin and Anthony’s scale is different, as Ant-Man is only six feet four. Although the Wolves guard covers his inability to reach height with his insane athleticism.

On the other hand, Justin has a natural talent for scoring some baskets while abnormally stopping shots above the rim. The former Wildcats wingman recorded a 41-m vertical jump at the NBA Draft combine this year. So, it is evident that Justin Edwards does not have a significant similarity with Anthony Edwards. Still, he might be aiming to get drafted and get as high as an emerging star from the Wolves. Do you all see him landing in any team? Comment down your thoughts.

Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about the Lakers legend’s infamous feud with the late Kobe Bryant.