Why Anthony Edwards’ personality is helping UGA basketball as much as his impressive stats

Anthony Edwards slowly stepped out of the Stegeman Coliseum conference room as he wished reporters a good Tuesday evening. A smile flashed across his face. Sweat trickled down it, too, as he led Georgia to a 95-86 win over The Citadel.

Suddenly, the freshman heard the words “Kentucky lost.” Edwards paused and turned his head. Moments prior, he shared his thoughts on how mid-major programs can beat anyone in this sport. But then, the next words were “to Evansville.”

“To who?” Edwards asked while scratching the back of his head, nearly in amazement at the news of the Wildcats’ 67-64 defeat. His reaction had a bit of a joking manner, and to be fair, Edwards might’ve misheard the reporter who blurted it out.

Edwards looked back toward the door, picked up his pace and exited with his smile that could soon be iconic across the college basketball landscape. He dropped 29 points in the Bulldogs’ second win, and the wunderkind freshman is doing what everybody has expected thus far — leading Georgia and giving the basketball program a character it hasn’t had in ages.

He’s in rare company, too, and might be rising above the last great player to walk through these doors. Former forward Dominique Wilkins (1979-82) scored 47 points in his first two college games. Edwards has 53 as a 24-point showing preceded his team-leading performance against The Citadel.

Wilkins went on to be an NBA great with the hometown Atlanta Hawks, as many know. That’s not to say Edwards will ascend toward Wilkins as his career progresses, but the 18-year-old freshman is expected to be a one-and-done player in Athens as a top pick in the 2020 NBA draft.

So, enjoy this special talent while you can, Georgia faithful. Edwards has brought some life to an arena that has been rather dull.This is Edwards’ show. He will never say it, nor will his coaches because he has a solid supporting cast of Bulldogs around him. But no ifs, ands or buts about it, not many have begun their ascent to the NBA as a Bulldog — not like this guy, at least.

“Anthony Edwards fits. He fits a lot of things for Georgia,” head coach Tom Crean said. “He is hungry, he has a desire to get better, all those types of things. It was a great thing for us to have somebody (with that kind of stature) who would take a chance on the program.”

At first glance, you might think Edwards’ ego would intertwine with what his national perception. He might be focused on his own game. He might only see Georgia as an obligatory stop to become an NBA draftee. He might think he is bigger-and-better than the rest of his teammates, inquiring media and everyone else involved.

Edwards is the farthest thing from any of those could-be assumptions.

He acts like a three-star recruit who is going to wear a Georgia basketball uniform for four seasons. Maybe even a back-of-the-bench guy who finds the biggest joys in seeing his teammates succeed. Edwards wants to win at Georgia and see others have success before himself. Oh yeah, and have fun doing it.

Those qualities shone brightest in the Bulldogs’ 100-66 rout of Delaware State. There was plenty of scoring to go around, but not much of it went the star’s way. Edwards scored six points on 3 of 7 shooting, but had six assists. He walked away with the most joy of anyone in the locker room, according to his coach. Forward Rayshaun Hammonds, who led the team with 26 points after taking advantage of zone defense, sees Edwards’ assists in the same light as racking up point totals.

“With all of the hoopla and hype that he has with how people look at him,” Crean said. Edwards was spotted taking shots 45 minutes after the game’s conclusion. “The way that he plays and the type of teammate he is, that says volumes about who he is as an 18-year-old. Volumes. I love that about him. They all have it, but when a guy like that leads it helps permeate the joy inside of a team.”

Edwards turned 18 on Aug. 5. He should be in his final season at Holy Spirit Preparatory School. But he’s at Georgia, and bringing a tight-knit chemistry to a locker room that models that of a high-school team. There’s a new energy on the basketball court each night, and it’s because of Edwards’ exuberance. He will hug any teammate he can find. He loves jumping up in the air to celebrate his own basket, an assist or a basket of a fellow Bulldog.

“I grade my performance based on how my team plays,” Edwards said. “I feel like my team played great. We got… what? A ‘B’ or ‘B-.’ We have a long way to go. We’re going to get in that gym tomorrow.”

After each interaction with Edwards, it’s hard to not walk away with a few soundbites about how he admires his teammates and their success.

On freshman point guard Sahvir Wheeler, winning the race thus far for Edwards’ favorite player: “Oh that boy is nice. … I think Sahvir thinks he’s 6-foot-4 the way he attacks the rim. I love Sahvir.”

On the upperclassmen leading nine freshmen: “When they do anything, it makes me feel like ‘oh, he hooping.’ No matter what they do, I will always be happy for them.”

On the graduate transfer Donnell Gresham Jr.: “I got my uncle right here keeping my team in the game. … This old man right here (Edwards said ‘old man’ three times).”

More love to Wheeler: “I feel like Sahvir is the best point guard in the country. He wasn’t highly talked about when he came in. I always knew who Sahvir was. … He can’t be guarded.”

On his mentality of sharing the joy: “I just love it. I love what I do. I love to see everybody happy.”

When you see Edwards skipping down the court in a full-fledged grin or hugging a teammate, think further than his numbers. The kid brings more to Georgia than those on-court highlights, because he sees himself as an equal to the others. He wants his team to do well as much as he wants an NBA career.

“This bond is something that I’ve never been a part of,” Wheeler said. “We truly love and care for each other. That plays a big part in the game.”

So, enjoy it while you can. There won’t be one like Edwards walking through Stegeman Coliseum too often.

“They asked me in the locker room ‘Why did I miss the last free throw?’” Edwards said in response to whether he pushed for 30 points. “I told them all that matters is that we got the win. I don’t really care about having 29 or 28, I can get 30 and it doesn’t really matter. My team is happy, so I am happy.”

This story was originally published November 15, 2019 at 6:00 AM.