| Intro | American basketball player |
| Is |
Athlete Basketball player |
| From | United States of America |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 5 August 2001, Atlanta, United States of America |
| Age: | 18 years |
| Star sign | Leo |
Anthony Edwards (born August 5, 2001) is an American college basketball player for the Georgia Bulldogs of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Listed at 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) and 225 pounds (102 kg), he plays the shooting guard position. He is widely projected to be a top-three pick in the 2020 NBA draft, with many analysts calling him a potential first overall pick in the draft.
Edwards finished his high school career at Holy Spirit Preparatory School in his hometown of Atlanta, where he was rated a consensus five-star recruit and the number one player in the 2019 class by 247Sports. In his senior season, he earned McDonald’s All-American and USA Today All-USA first team honors. In 2019, he committed to Georgia as the best recruit in program history.
Early life
Edwards was brought up in Atlanta, Georgia. When he was three years old, he was given the nickname “Ant-Man” by his father. For much of his childhood, Edwards played football at the running back, quarterback, and cornerback positions. He played youth football for the Atlanta Vikings and became one of the best Pop Warner running backs in the country by age 10. However, Edwards switched his focus to basketball because he “thought it looked more fun” after watching his brothers play. He often played basketball against his brothers at their grandmother’s house in the summer. Entering ninth grade, he began training under the guidance of Justin Holland, a former college basketball player for Liberty and an Atlanta-based basketball trainer.
High school career
Due to his success with the Atlanta Xpress 15-under Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team, Edwards was considered a four-star recruit after the summer of 2016. He began playing high school basketball for Therrell High School in Atlanta as a member of the 2019 class. In early January 2017, Edwards transferred to Holy Spirit Preparatory School in Atlanta and reclassified to the 2020 class. He made the move in an effort to improve his academic performance, since Holy Spirit Prep had “small class sizes and support to help that.”
In March 2018, Edwards helped Holy Spirit Prep defeat The Heritage School for the Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) Class AAA state championship. He reclassified back to the 2019 class in November 2018 after seeing academic improvement. As a result, Edwards rose to become the number one recruit in the Top247 rankings by recruiting website 247Sports. In his senior season, his team finished as GISA Class AAA runners-up to The Heritage School, despite 27 points from Edwards. At the end of the season, he was averaging 29 points, nine rebounds, and two assists per game. Edwards garnered USA Today All-USA first team and MaxPreps All-American fourth team recognition. He played in the McDonald’s All-American Game and Jordan Brand Classic in the spring of 2019.
Recruiting
By consensus, Edwards was rated a five-star recruit, top-five player, and the top shooting guard in the 2019 class. On February 11, 2019, he committed to play for Georgia, becoming the program’s best recruit in the modern recruiting era. Edwards chose the Bulldogs over offers from Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Edwards was drawn to Georgia because head coach Tom Crean coached two of his favorite players, Dwyane Wade and Victor Oladipo, at the college level.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Anthony Edwards SG |
Atlanta, GA | Holy Spirit Prep (GA) | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Feb 11, 2019 | |
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 3 247Sports: 1 ESPN: 4 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
On November 5, 2019, Edwards made his debut for Georgia, recording 24 points, nine rebounds, and four steals in a 91–72 win over Western Carolina. It was the most points by a Georgia freshman debutant since Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Dominique Wilkins in 1979. On November 26, he scored 37 points, including 33 in the second half, and posted six rebounds, four steals, and three blocks in a 93–85 loss to third-ranked Michigan State at the Maui Invitational. Edwards became the first Georgia freshman to score as many points in a game since Jacky Dorsey in 1975.
Personal life
Edwards’ mother, Yvette, and his grandmother, Shirley, both died from cancer in 2015. In turn, he was raised by his sister, Antoinette, and brother, Antoine, who share legal custody over him. In high school, Edwards frequently worked as an instructor at a number of youth camps. He intends to major in marketing at the University of Georgia.