ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia landed a rare top national recruit on Monday when Anthony Edwards, a shooting guard from Holy Spirit Prep in Atlanta, picked the Bulldogs.
Edwards, whose nickname is “Ant Man,” made the announcement at his school. The No. 2 prospect by the 247 Sports composite ranking also considered Kentucky, Florida State and North Carolina.
Edwards says Georgia’s Tom Crean coached his two favorite players, Dwyane Wade at Marquette and Victor Oladipo at Indiana.
“He’s a great coach for player development,” Edwards said of Crean, in his first season at Georgia. “They came in not the greatest and they came out really great players. Dwyane Wade has had a really good career, so it weighed on me.”
The 6-foot-7 Edwards averages 27 points and 9 rebounds.
He rates as the most accomplished player to commit to the Bulldogs since Lou Williams, also a top 10 national recruit, went straight to the NBA after signing with Georgia in 2005. Williams now plays for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Kentarious Caldwell-Pope, now with the Los Angeles Lakers, was the nation’s No. 12 recruit by Rivals.com before signing with Georgia in 2011.
Edwards said his decision was influenced by attending a Georgia game.
“I went to a game on my unofficial visit and I just felt the fans in the gym, everybody showing love, so I just felt like I was home,” he said.
The Georgia campus in Athens is near his Atlanta home. Edwards says having family so close was “a big factor.”
Edwards announced his decision by taking his young nephew into his arms and revealing the boy’s red Georgia T-shirt. Edwards then put on a red Georgia cap.
“I want him to see me play and see me grow and I want to see him grow. So it was a big factor,” he said.
Edwards already is projected as a 2020 NBA lottery pick. Even though he’s expected to play only one season in Athens, his decision is a big boost to Crean’s effort to build a winning team. The Bulldogs are 10-13 overall and 1-9 in the Southeastern Conference.
The regular signing period begins on April 17. Coaches are not allowed to comment on commitments before they sign.
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