Newcomer Profile: BJ Edwards
BJ Edwards, one of the top recruits in Tennessee, became the first member of the Vols' 2022 class, staying in Knoxville play for his hometown team. Let's take a dive into what the four-star brings to Rocky Top.
Background:
Born in Johnson City, Edwards' stayed in East Tennessee to attend Knoxville Catholic High School, where he began to step into the national radar. As a sophomore, Edwards had a breakout season where he lead the Irish to its first ever state championship over Briarcrest Christian, a squad led by former Vol Kennedy Chandler. Edwards was beaten out by Chandler for TSSAA Division II-AA Mr. Basketball, but took home the award in his junior season. Following that season, he went on to commit to Tennessee as the earliest member of this incoming 2022 class. He then led the Irish to another state championship appearance in his senior season, but his 21 points ultimately fell short to Christian Brothers in the final.
In 116 games with Knox Catholic, Edwards scored 2,240 points on averages of 19.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals, shooting 52 percent from the field and 33 percent from 3-point range. Edwards played his AAU ball with BMaze Elite, a program led by former Vols' point guard Bobby Maze. Several Vols and former Vols have gone through the BMaze, such as Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, Jaden Springer and Drew Pember. Following his high school career, Edwards joins the Vols as a consensus four-star recruit while widely being ranked in the top-100 recruits.
Fit:
Edwards will fit like a glove in Rick Barnes' system, showing equal effort on both sides of the ball. Despite being in the 6'2" 170-pound range, he possesses a solid frame and will not be pushed around by bigger guards. Coach Barnes has shown time and time again that he can develop his guards and Edwards will likely be no different. He is a highly talented guard that works hard. On the offensive side of the ball, he has a good motor but plays at his own pace. Though he is a capable shooter, Edwards thrives when attacking the basket and has good vision on the drive and kick. His pick and roll game will be complemented nicely by guys such as Uros Plasvic and Jonas Aidoo. Edwards is shifty with the ball in his hands and can create his own shots if needed.
Impact Rating:
Edwards' frame will allow him to see minutes at the one or the two-guard. He will see floor early and often, likely stepping into a similar role that we saw Zakai Zeigler at last season as a spark plug off the bench. Edwards could even see himself move into a starting role as the season rolls on if Barnes likes Zeigler as the sixth-man. Either way, Edwards skills as a primary ball-handler should give the Vols an instant impact that will be felt more and more throughout the course of the season as he adapts to the college game.
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