PODCAST: Locked on College Basketball includes Justin Edwards among NBA draft fallers

Edwards was once considered a likely top-five pick, but his NBA draft stock has fallen thanks to inconsistent performances.

When the 2023-24 college basketball season was just getting underway, most felt the Kentucky Wildcats would rely heavily on star freshman wing Justin Edwards - who came to Lexington as the No.3 ranked player in the class at 247Sports, only behind Ron Holland (G-League Ignite) and Isaiah Collier (USC).

However, the Wildcats have jumped out to a 9-2 start and earned their way into the Top 10 of the AP Poll on the back of multiple other freshmen: namely guards Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard, and DJ Wagner, while Edwards has not lived up to those preseason expectations.

Locked on College Basketball hosts Andy Patton and Leif Thulin recently discussed a handful of college players who have either raised or lowered their NBA draft stock, and Edwards was discussed among a handful of other freshmen, including Collier, who are underperforming this season.

Edwards is currently averaging 9.9 points and 4.6 rebounds, shooting a respectable 57.4% on two pointers but only 25.8% on threes. He's averaging less than one assist per game, and ultimately hasn't shown many obvious NBA traits.

While his 6'8 frame and elite athleticism will almost certainly lead to an NBA team taking a chance on him, the performance up to this point has not merited a top five - and maybe not even a top 10 - spot in the 2024 NBA draft, even in what is widely considered a weak class.

Of course, Edwards is very young and still has a few months to prove himself against excellent competition like Tennessee, Texas A&M, Auburn, and Ole Miss - not to mention the possibility of wowing scouts at the NBA draft combine - but there is little doubt his stock has taken a tumble in the first two months of the college basketball season.

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