'By far his best game.' Justin Edwards has officially turned the corner

There’s no denying it anymore: Kentucky freshman Justin Edwards has officially turned the corner.

In reality, he’s been turning the corner for about a month now. Coming into Saturday’s regular-season finale against No. 4 Tennessee, Edwards was already playing his best basketball, but he just continues to get better. Let’s look at his numbers before and after Feb. 6 prior to Saturday.

• First 20 games: 7.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.8 SPG 22 MPG | 44.2/28.6/70.8
• Last 9 games: 11.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 21 MPG | 61.8/54.5/83.3

His performance against the Volunteers, the school that finished second in his high school recruitment, was the final confirmation everyone needed — if most didn’t have it already: Edwards has arrived, and he’s not going anywhere.

“I’m in a better spot mentally where I don’t get mad about missing shots,” Edwards said following Kentucky’s 85-81 win over Tennessee. “Early in the season, I would be down about missing shots, but the work is finally starting to pay off.”

Edwards was at his best down in Knoxville. He finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and three assists in a career-high 37 minutes. The 6-foot-8 freshman shot 6-10 from the floor, including a 4-7 mark from deep, tying his career-best in makes from beyond the arc. He led UK in plus/minus at +13. During a two-minute stretch late in the first half, he drilled back-to-back-to-back three-pointers.

“Justin was ridiculous. By far his best game,” Head coach John Calipari said postgame. “And I know there were people — ‘Don’t play him and don’t do this,’ and I stuck with him. And I believe in him. Now you see why I believed in him.”

Stacey Sheppard embraces Justin Edwards after Kentucky took down Tennessee 💙

This right here is what it’s all about 😿

(via @JackPilgrimKSR) pic.twitter.com/VWitdbb7gA

— KSR (@KSRonX) March 10, 2024

It always felt like a matter of time before Edwards had his breakthrough moment. It didn’t come on his time though. He’s had to put in extra work both physically and mentally to get to this point, even though he’s always had the talent. You don’t become a top-five high school prospect by accident.

Edwards got a mental health coach, listens to motivational videos, and does more meditation before games. He’s always been someone who lives in the gym; he just needed to get out of his own way mentally. His teammates have seen the breakthrough unfold first-hand, and they couldn’t be happier.

“He’s came a long way, you know? Just confidence-wise,” Antonio Reeves said of Edwards. “He made sure he stayed focused, stayed in the gym, and you can tell now that he’s out there performing. That’s all we can really ask for for him…

“Every time he shoots I think it’s going in, that’s how confident I am of him.”

Edwards said he knew he was going to hit shots against Tennessee, but also admitted he didn’t think he’d get as hot as he did. It shouldn’t be much of a shock though. His preparation is the best it’s been all season long. Eventually, the shots were going to start falling. He’s the perfect example of why coaches, especially Calipari, don’t give up on their players.

Heading into the postseason, Kentucky is getting the best version of Justin Edwards at the perfect time.