John Calipari remains patient with Justin Edwards amid struggles

In a season filled with ups and downs, Tuesday night was another “down” performance for Kentucky freshman Justin Edwards. He finished with just four points and two rebounds on 2-7 shooting in 20 minutes for the Wildcats. The 6-foot-7 wing was the lone starter not to reach double-figures in Kentucky’s 90-77 win over Missouri.

This isn’t exactly anything new from Edwards though. He’s still yet to put together a complete game from start to finish through 14 contests. Even worse, he appears to be trending in the wrong direction. After averaging 28 minutes per game through his first eight outings, he’s down to just 18 minutes over his last five. By John Calipari’s own admission, a lack of focus on defense has been the primary reason for Edwards’ reduced playing time, but the offense has been a serious struggle too.

You see the potential though, but only in small bursts. Sometimes he’ll go an entire half of playing high-level basketball, just to shrink the next half. Every “breakthrough” performance is followed by a so-so one.

“You look at Justin Edwards, his best basketball obviously is in front of him, but he’s just as athletic, great player,” Missouri head coach Dennis Gates said.

Edwards’ struggles are clearly beginning to get in his head, too. He was visibly upset in the win over Missouri, holding his head down after a bad play or missed shot. His teammates would do their best to try and lift him up on the bench, but it never translated into production on the floor. The worst moment was after a corner three-point shot hit the side of the backboard.

“He made some plays, he banked one on the corner. And then he came back in the second half and missed it and we stuck with him and I want him to try to play through it,” John Calipari said postgame. “It’s not what I’m saying. It’s what he is saying to himself. What is the inner talk? You are not making every shot, so stop. If you missed, just keep playing and get a back force and block a shot and defend.”

Calipari isn’t anywhere close to giving up on Edwards. Again, it’s not all bad. Edwards started the second half with back-to-back layups (one for an and-one) in a little over a minute to begin the second half. It’s the consistency that just isn’t there yet. But Calipari believes it will be soon.

“He is playing good but in a month from now you will all say wow, this is what they were talking about. He is working really, really hard,” Calipari said. “But the stuff doesn’t happen on our time, or his time. It doesn’t. Sometimes you have to go three months, four months, and all of a sudden you start breaking through and then you go. Most of the stuff they have to work through.”

There is still plenty of season left for Edwards to get it going. He’ll continue to stick in the starting lineup as long as Calipari sees fit. After all, he was still a five-star high school recruit and the highest-ranked of all Kentucky’s talented freshmen. That version just needs to be unlocked.

He is playing good but in a month from now you will all say wow, this is what they were talking about. He is working really, really hard. But the stuff doesn’t happen on our time, or his time. It doesn’t. Sometimes you have to go three months, four months, and all of a sudden you start breaking through and then you go. Most of the stuff they have to work through.