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K-State's Edwards eager to prove himself on bigger stage

Junior guard coming off redshirt transfer year

Ken Corbitt
Kansas State transfer Justin Edwards hopes to prove himself on a higher level of play after being recruited from Maine by coach Bruce Weber.

MANHATTAN — Justin Edwards is on a mission to make a name for himself.

Canadian-born basketball players have been making an impact in recent years, particularly in the Big 12 Conference, but Edwards attracted little interest coming out of high school in Whitby, Ontario. He took an offer from Maine and established himself as one of the top players in the America East Conference over two years, leading the league in scoring with a 16.7 average in the 2012-13 season.

Edwards yearned for a bigger stage, deciding after his sophomore season to transfer. This time the big schools were lining up, and at the head of the line was Kansas State coach Bruce Weber.

“I was looking for a school with good competition, good exposure and a good coach,” Edwards said. “Once I put my release in, K-State was the first school to recruit me and showed a lot of interest in me. Knowing coach Weber’s resume, I wanted to play for a good coach like him.”

Edwards was impressed by the personal touch Weber showed by making the trip to Maine to make his recruiting pitch.

“I was surprised he came up there,” Edwards said. “When I told my friends he was coming all the way to Maine, they didn’t believe me. He basically told me what he expected from me and what he wanted from me and what they needed me to do.

“It was definitely a big selling point. No other head coaches came there. That showed me he was really interested.”

Edwards took campus visits to Iowa State and Creighton, and after he made a trip to Manhattan he canceled visits to Miami and Oregon.

After sitting out last season under NCAA transfer rules, the explosive 6-foot-4 junior is anxious to prove himself on a higher level.

“I’m extremely anxious,” said Edwards, who makes his unofficial K-State debut Nov. 9 in an exhibition game against Washburn. “I’ve waited a whole year and it sucks sitting out and just getting to practice and not play, so I’m excited to play in front of everyone and have fun with my teammates.”

Edwards showed plenty to his teammates a year ago when he was limited to practice time and no games.

“He’s very hard to guard,” Wildcats guard Marcus Foster said. “You think you’ve got him cut off but he goes around you and is still able to score. Being so athletic, he just takes off and jumps and can go around you in many ways. He brings a different style of play to K-State, to be so athletic and be able to shoot the ball and get to the rim. I feel he’s going to be very hard to stop.”

Foster, second team All-Big 12 last season as a freshman when he averaged 15.5 points, has said he expects Edwards to be the Wildcats’ leading scorer this year.

“I like to score so I’m OK with that,” Edwards said. “Between me and Marcus, we’re both good scoring guards so I’m not sure who’s going to lead but we’re both going to provide a lot of scoring for us.”

All the talk about Edwards has centered on his jumping ability and athletic dunks, but there is more to his game.

“He brings great energy and is so athletic,” said Jevon Thomas, K-State’s sophomore point guard. “Most athletic guys just run and dunk and can’t shoot, but he can really shoot. He can score the ball in many different ways. He can shoot the 3, he can attack and he can get put-backs off the offensive rebounds. He just finds a way to get open.”

Edwards is counting down the days to putting those skills on display.

“I definitely like the high expectations,” he said. “It pushes me and makes me work harder and prove the haters wrong.

“People really don’t know about Canadian basketball players. Coming from there, I want to show what we can be and what we can do. I do have a chip on my shoulders. I want to show the big schools that didn’t want me what I can do.”