Carsen Edwards has always been an intriguing prospect to college hoops fans across the country, but he proved himself to the casual basketball fan during the 2019 NCAA Tournament. During the tourney, Edwards had masterful performances against defending champion Villanova, highly ranked Tennessee and nearly knocked of eventual champ Virginia. In a losing effort, he scored 42 points against UVA and was named the Most Outstanding Player in the South region. With his draft stock being higher than it ever has been, Edwards declared and kept his name in the 2019 NBA Draft. Let’s take a look at how Edwards stacks up as an NBA prospect.
Scoring Ability
Edwards was the most accomplished guard scorer in the country from a major conference averaging 24 points per game during the season for the Purdue Boilermakers. Carsen displayed his range from the three-point line in his final year at Purdue, draining the long ball at 35% clip on 10.6 attempts per game. He also displayed the ability to take it to the rim despite being only listed at 6 feet. Edwards is physical enough to finish with contact and he is able to create his own shot. In transition, Carsen is tough to handle and he demonstrated his quickness at the NBA combine posting the third highest shuttle run time.
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Carsen Edwards dropped NINE threes on the way to 42 points for @BoilerBall! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/acTQgyhdto
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 24, 2019
Basketball IQ / Intangibles
Carsen Edwards played three years at Purdue and displayed leadership and headiness that many players don’t have going into the NBA. His postseason performance alone shows how Edwards rises when it’s his time to shine. Playing for Matt Painter has instilled a sense of high basketball IQ that will make him valuable in the NBA. You’d be hard pressed to find many other players in the 2019 NBA Draft at the same level as Edwards when it comes to his willingness to just take over when it matters most.
Fact: Carsen Edwards put on one of the greatest shows in NCAA Tournament history. pic.twitter.com/2WusY5bDR4
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 31, 2019
Weakness
The major drawback to Carsen Edwards is his size. He’s barely six feet tall in shoes and weighs in at little over 200 pounds. It is relatively undersized for the position NBA GMs are going draft him for, point guard. His skill set is a natural fit for the shooting guard position that is normally held by taller players. He’ll struggle to guard opposing big guards and he’ll be targeted by opposing defenses. Despite Edwards being a phenomenal scorer, he’s been very streaky during his career and when Edwards is ice cold, he’s doesn’t offer much else to an NBA team.
NBA Comparison: Quinn Cook
As Edwards keeps getting scrutinized up until draft day coming out of college as a big name prospect, Quinn Cook comes to mind as a comparable player. Edwards reminds me of a player that can come into a game and energize his team when they need a spark. Also, I can see him offering great backup minutes to starters in the NBA early in his career. He’s a player who will always be ready for the opportunity. If Edwards can gain a bit more consistency and get drafted into the right system, he’ll carve out a spot in the NBA due to his great shooting ability, willingness to score and intangibles. Something you’re currently seeing out of the Warriors reserve guard, someone who possibly could be a two-time champion in his first two seasons with Golden State.
