Kentucky basketball recruiting: Justin Edwards, nation’s No. 2 prospect, commits to Wildcats on CBS Sports HQ

Kentucky basketball recruiting: Justin Edwards, nation’s No. 2 prospect, commits to Wildcats on CBS Sports HQ

Kentucky basketball recruiting: Kentucky signed a big sign on Monday when Justin Edwards, a five-star wing, chose Tennessee’s Wildcats to live at CBS Sports HQ. Ranked second overall in the 2023 class, Edwards is the third top 30 engagement in the class in the UK and the second five-star promise alongside guard Robert Dillingham. 

Edwards has emerged as one of the top candidates to take the top spot in the 2023 class as GG Jackson, the number one in the overall outlook, is reclassified into the 2022 class. Among his main rivals for this honor is Kentucky’s other target, Guard DJ Wagner. No matter where it ends in the final ranking, Edwards skips UConn and moves from 3rd to 2nd in the class team rankings, which is a big win for the Wildcats. Duke remains at the top of the leaderboard for now, but Wagner’s signature could change that. 

Before narrowing the list to Kentucky and Tennessee, Edwards also considered Auburn, Kansas, Maryland, Villanova, and the G League to be ignited. The Philadelphia Imhotep Institute’s 6-foot-7 star is considered the # 1 small forward in its class and owns a .9980 overall ranking.

Edwards as a player

As a junior, Edwards led state titles with an average of 18.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. His strong performance at Imhotep helped him jump from 12th to 3rd in the May 2023 player rankings.

Edwards is the most versatile player in its class when firing on all cylinders. He is a 6’7 winger with length and athletic ability, can dribble, pass, shoot with a sophisticated attack package, can leave at any time to create his own attack, and rebound at a high level. 

Kentucky’s brand

There are concerns that British coach John Calipari will provide ongoing resources along the hiring path after Wildcats defeated the NCAA tournament in the impressive first round against 15th-seeded St. Peters. If so, this should give you peace of mind. Edward’s dedication shows how strong the adoption of the BigBlueNation brand is, especially after the terrible end of the season, after the 9-16 record of 2020-21. 

Kentucky 2022 class, led by five-star candidates Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston, finished 14th overall in the team’s rankings. Edwards, Dillingham, and Reed Shepherd are 28th overall, and Wildcats are now hunting hard to finish in the top class.

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