Kentucky men’s basketball freshman Justin Edwards declared for the 2024 NBA Draft on Thursday.
He announced the decision via Instagram.
Edwards came to Kentucky as a five-star prospect out of Imhotep Institute, a charter school in Philadelphia. He was the No. 3 national recruit and the No. 1 small forward and Pennsylvania recruit.
While he struggled to live up to his hype for most of the season, he came into his own in the back half, finishing with an average of 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 48.6% from the field.
Edwards reached his zenith in the Cats’ blowout win over Alabama, which is currently in the Final Four, scoring 28 points and shooting a perfect 10-10 from the field and 4-4 from beyond the arch.
In the Cats’ first round NCAA Tournament exit against Oakland Edwards scored 10 points, tying Rob Dillingham as the best freshman scorer in the game and tying for third leading scorer in the contest behind veterans Tre Mitchell and Antonio Reeves.
In his declaration statement Edwards did not include any language to indicate he is keeping the door open on a return to Lexington so, while he has yet to officially forgo any collegiate eligibility, it appears as though he will be departing Lexington after just one season as the latest in a lengthy history of one-and-done players to come through UK.
