Kentucky staff "not concerned about" DJ Wagner, Justin Edwards through 3 games

It hasn’t been an ideal start to the college careers of highly-touted five-star freshmen DJ Wagner and Justin Edwards. They possess the two worst field goal percentages of any rotation player on Kentucky despite taking the second and fourth-most shots, respectively. Wagner is at a rough 31.6 percent while Edwards is better at 40.7 percent, but still too low for someone of his abilities.

It’s only been three games though, the third having taken place in Chicago against No. 1 Kansas in arguably the biggest game of the college basketball season thus far. Some nerves should be expected. Adapting to the college game is a process that should be expected. Just because other freshmen such as Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham have flashed signs of brilliance in the same amount of time doesn’t mean Wagner and Edwards won’t find their footing eventually.

“We think that DJ and Justin are going to be fine,” Kentucky assistant coach Chin Coleman said on Thursday. “Again, it’s the third college game, even for them. Those are two we’re not concerned about.”

That’s easy for the coaching staff to say (especially when they’re the ones watching them in practice every single day), but it doesn’t exactly calm the nerves of an always-reactive fanbase. Edwards and Wagner both average right at 9.7 points per game while playing 30 and 28 minutes per game, respectively. They are a combined 3-20 from long range. Edwards has more turnovers (5) than assists (4) while Wagner is struggling to get anything going with his offensive attack.

But on the flip side, there are plenty of reasons for optimism. For starters, they’re playing team basketball on both ends of the hardwood. Although Edwards’ five miscues this season are the most on the team, a 1.7 turnover average per game is still a low mark. He’s converting when he gets to the free-throw line and is making an impact on the glass, too. Meanwhile, Wagner has eight assists to just two turnovers to go along with his five steals.

Most freshmen go through ruts, even the best of the best. Kentucky fans have been slightly spoiled by the unexpectedly solid starts of Sheppard and Dillingham, who, it should also be pointed out, have been far from perfect through their first three games.

Let’s also not forget that Wagner still posted 13 points, four rebounds, and three steals in the season-opener against New Mexico State. Edwards dropped 16 points (6-10 FG) and seven rebounds with zero turnovers against Texas A&M-Commerce. But when the spotlight is on, the expectations rise, much like they did in the Champions Classic.

The good news is there’s a long way to go this season. Kentucky is looking at back-to-back-to-back games against subpar competition in Stonehill (Friday), Saint Joseph’s (Monday), and Marshall (Nov. 24) before hosting the Miami Hurricanes on Nov. 28. A lot can change between now and then. Those will be prime opportunities to bounce back.

“We have the ultimate confidence in (Wagner and Edwards),” Coleman added. “We’ve seen them do it time and time and time again. To have what someone might think is a bad game, it’s always about the response. So we’re excited to see how they are in the first possession of practice today. Not Stonehill the basketball game, how they respond in the first possession of practice.”

Another reason for optimism with Wagner and Edwards? They aren’t sulking as a result of poor offensive play. They find ways to make impacts elsewhere, whether that be on defense or off the floor. Under the bright lights of the United Center against Kansas, they made sure to remain involved however they could despite going a combined 1-18 from the field.

“I thought what they did well was be a part of a team and was happy for Rob, was happy for Reed, was happy for Adou (Thiero),” Coleman said, “That’s what our team is about. It’s not about one individual whether you play well or play what you may think is bad, that doesn’t concern us because we have a team. We have a really good team with multiple guys that can step up and do things for our team. So when it ain’t your day, you gotta be happy for your teammate, your bother. So I think that was the most important thing that they did, in my opinion.”

Again, three games is only three games. How these freshmen play right is going to look drastically different in a couple of months. Hell, it could look drastically different in just a couple of weeks.

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.