West Virginia center Jesse Edwards receives call up to NBA Draft combine

West Virginia center Jesse Edwards has been called up from the G-League Elite Camp to the NBA Draft Combine, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. He will now have a chance to be selected in the 2024 NBA Draft.

Edwards played this past season at West Virginia after spending the first four years of his college career at Syracuse. He averaged 15.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks this past season. His blocks per game exceeded 2.5 per game during his final two seasons with the Orange,

The NBA G-League Elite Camp was meant to feature prospects who fell short of earning an invite to the NBA Combine. But select players received a second look and have been extended the invitation to compete.

Jesse Edwards was one of those names after impressing NBA scouts with his showing this past week. The 6-foot-11 big man with a 7-foot-5 wing span showed that he not only has the physical attributes but the skills the make an impact defensively at the next level.

As a recruit, Edwards was a three-star prospect coming out of IMG Academy in Florida. He ranked as the No. 179 overall player and No. 29 center in the 2019 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

More on the 2023 NBA Draft

The 2023 NBA Draft is set to take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, in Brooklyn at Barclays Center. Round 1 of the draft will be announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, while Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum is expected to handle the second round of picks.

To be eligible for the NBA Draft, players must be at least 19 years in age during the calendar year that the draft is held and at least one NBA season from their high school graduation date, or the date that would have been if they are not graduated. It is not required that player spend that one year playing college basketball, though. Players can play in either college, abroad, or the G League Ignite if they choose so.

While this is a significant change from what the rules once were, players are eligible to enter their names into the NBA Draft pool and explore their options by hiring an agent to go through the process, while still keeping their college eligibility. The deadline to make that move is on April 23 beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET. Players have until June 12 at 5 p.m. ET to withdraw their name from the pool and return to college.

The NBA Draft Lottery will be held on May 16, which is also the start of the NBA Conference Finals.