Georgia's Anthony Edwards declaring for NBA draft
Anthony Edwards made official what everybody expected before he stepped foot on campus as a member of the Georgia basketball team. He’s heading to the NBA after one season in college basketball.
Edwards, an Atlanta native, confirmed his decision to move on to professional basketball Friday on Twitter.
"Georgia will always be my home but I am ready to take my game to the next level and have decided to declare for the 2020 NBA Draft," he posted on his social media account. "I hope I've made you all proud but the work is far from finished.
"The next chapter starts now ... let's get it."
Edwards has signed with Octagon sports agency, according to a tweet from the Los Angeles-based company. The agency will represent a client that is a top candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
“This is no surprise in making this decision and announcement, and at the same time, it’s bittersweet,” coach Tom Crean said in a call with reporters. “You knew it was coming and expected it to come, but then it puts it in perspective that we’re not going to coach him anymore on a daily basis. I enjoyed it immensely. He’s one of the most improved from the beginning of June to the end of the season players I’ve been around in all my years of coaching.”
The 6-foot-5 guard from Atlanta brought heightened attention to the Bulldogs program this season and drew NBA scouts to come see him play for a team that went 16-16 overall and finished 13th in the Southeastern Conference.
“It’s not like there was a debate to be had here, right?” Crean said. “It was a pretty easy decision. We’ve had a lot of conversations throughout the year about a lot of different things. Most of it is what it means to be prepared for that level, not necessarily leaving for that level.”
Other top prospects, like 2021 top 10 recruit Michael Foster from Phoenix took note that an elite player like Edwards chose to play at a program in Georgia that doesn’t have the type of basketball tradition of schools that typically attract top talent.
“I’ve been watching a lot of college basketball and Ant Man is really putting on a show for Georgia this season!,” the 6-foot-9 Foster wrote in an SI.com diary. “A lot of guys are doing their thing, but he’s one that’s stood out to me.”
He was fifth in the SEC with 72 3-pointers, but finished the season going 6-for-22 from the floor at LSU and 2-for-13 against Mississippi in the SEC tournament win. He shot just 29.4 percent on the season from 3-point range.
“I think the biggest thing for him is just trusting his catch-and-shoot shot,” Crean said. “His range is excellent. He obviously can become a tremendous driver, a downhill player. He’s got to get even better with the ball screens as time goes on. I think what he’s got to to do is he’ got to be able to trust the catch-and-shoot shot without having to take that dribble.”
Edwards arrived at Georgia as the most highly regarded recruit since Dominique Wilkins. He showed Crean a desire to improve and work and became “one of the greatest teammates I’ve ever been around.” There was hardly any mystery of what he would do after this season.
“This is not a situation where this was something, ‘Is there a decision to make, is there not? Should he go, should he not go? Is he going to be this, is he going to be that?’“ Crean said. “It’s a different deal. He’s pretty much assured that he’s going to be very high in that draft, if not the highest.”