Since the 2006 Draft, the NBA has disallowed players from entering the League immediately after completing high school. During a sit-down with Chris Tucker for Interview Magazine, Anthony Edwards opened up about this topic. He claimed that he wanted to join the League straight after finishing high school.
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Edwards was ready to get out there and make a name for himself in the NBA. But when asked if he regrets going to college, the Timberwolves star said,
“No, I don’t regret it. I was a class clown too and school was hard for me. I was the same as you. I was ready to get out there. I wish I could have went [to the NBA] out of high school, honestly.”
The reason behind his strong desire to avoid college was his difficulty in school. Despite being a class clown and making people laugh, the two-time All-Star found it hard. He followed a grueling schedule in school to balance basketball and academics. The death of his mother when he was 14 years old added to the pressure. After overcoming all of these obstacles, he felt that he was ready for the NBA after graduating from school. But with rules preventing him, the star prospect joined Georgia.
As a five-star recruit, Edwards was expected to dominate his lone season with the Georgia Bulldogs. He lived up to those expectations and put up an impressive 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. But he shot just 40.2% from the field, as he was left to do all the heavy lifting on offense.
The Bulldogs had a so-so 16-16 record before the 2019-20 NCAA season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ANT was named the SEC Rookie of the Year and also made it to the Second-team All-SEC as a freshman. Despite his desire to play NBA basketball as soon as possible, Edwards does not regret his college stint.
Anthony Edwards doesn’t regret going to college
While Edwards wanted to enter the NBA immediately after high school, he does not regret joining the Bulldogs for a year. His college experience proved invaluable while preparing him for a grueling road in the NBA. Furthermore, college competition helped refine his game and provided a higher level of competition.
Little doubt remained that Edwards set himself up for an incredible future when he declared for the Draft on March 20th, 2020. He was selected first overall in the Draft by the Timberwolves and has not looked back since.
He has provided the team with the missing leadership it needs, helping the Timberwolves make progress in the postseason. Do you think Edwards would have become the star he is today if he’d skipped High School?
