5-star wing Justin Edwards officially signs with Kentucky

Five-star wing Justin Edwards has made it official, signing with the Kentucky men’s basketball program to open the early signing period. The 6-foot-7, 180-pound small forward becomes the third Wildcat pledge to put pen to paper on Wednesday.

Edwards signed with the program during a live ceremony at his high school school, Imhotep Charter (PA). Kentucky has since announced his official addition.

A native of Philadelphia, the five-star prospect is ranked No. 5 overall and No. 3 among small forwards in the 2023 On3 Consensus. He previously announced his commitment to Kentucky on July 25, becoming the program’s third pledge in the class behind Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham.

Sheppard and Dillingham signed with UK earlier this afternoon.

Kentucky’s other five-star commit, Aaron Bradshaw, is also set to sign with the program during the early signing period, which ends one week from today on Nov. 16. Uncommitted five-star guard DJ Wagner is on the cusp of announcing his final decision, which is expected to come before the end of the signing period, as well. Kentucky is the overwhelming favorite to land his commitment.

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What are the Wildcats getting in Edwards? The top-five signee is a versatile lefty who thrives on the defensive end of the floor, using his length and instincts to force turnovers and lock down the opposing team’s best talent. Offensively, he thrives out of the mid-range and is growing as a 3-point shooter, but also looks to attack the basket and initiate contact to draw fouls. Arguably his best trait? He plays best when surrounded by elite talent, a big reason he chose to sign with Kentucky during the recruiting process.

Edwards helped lead his Ihotep Charter team to a 29-4 final record en route to the Class 5A state title his junior season, where he averaged 18.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest. The Panthers are ranked No. 10 in The Circuit’s 2022-23 preseason national rankings. He previously earned First-Team All-Circuit honors after averaging 16.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 1.2 assists this past summer at Peach Jam.

Now, Edwards is officially a Wildcat.