UGA Men’s Basketball: Edwards Selected Georgia Player Of The Year
ATHENS, Ga. — Anthony Edwards, who was the nation’s top-scoring freshman for the Georgia Bulldogs this season, was named the state of Georgia’s Men’s Basketball Player of the Year by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Thursday.
Edwards is the ninth Georgia player to be named the Tipoff Club’s player of the year for the state. Those Bulldogs have combined to claim the honor 11 times, including four of the past five seasons. The previous winners were Vern Fleming in 1984 (the award’s first year or existence), Litterial Green in 1992, Jumaine Jones in 1999, Jarvis Hayes in 2002 and 2003, Trey Thompkins in 2011, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in 2013, J.J. Frazier in 2016 and 2017 and Yante Maten in 2018.
Edwards averaged 19.1 points per game for the Bulldogs in 2019-20 and finished the season ranked No. 47 nationally in scoring average. He was the only freshman included among the top-50 scorers in Division I and one of only three in the top 100. Edwards scored in double figures in 27 of 32 games, including 14 20-point performances and three 30-point outputs. He christened his career with 24 points against Western Carolina, the second-most ever by a Georgia freshman in his collegiate debut. Edwards poured in a season-high 37 points – including 33 in the second half – against No. 3 Michigan State at the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, which represented the most points by a Bulldog freshman in 45 seasons.
Edwards’ scoring average ranked No. 3 in the SEC. Among league statistical leaders, he also finished No. 5 in 3-pointers (2.3 33FGs per game) and No. 16 in playing time (33.0 mpg).
Edwards finished the season with 610 total points. That tally ranks No. 7 among Georgia’s all-time single-season leaders – the second-most by a UGA freshman – and No. 10 among the best outputs ever by an SEC freshman.
Edwards was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in balloting league coaches, the first Bulldog to win that award since its inception in 2001. He was voted the SEC Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press, the third Bulldog to earn that recognition following Jumaine Jones in 1998 (in the award’s first year) and Jarvis Hayes in 2002.
Additional postseason accolades Edwards has earned include being: chosen as one of five finalists for the Jerry West National Shooting Guard of the Year award; named second-team All-SEC by league coaches and the AP; selected All-District by both the USBWA and NABC; and tabbed SEC All-Freshman by league coaches. He was honored as the SEC Freshman of the Week a school-record four times, being selected on Dec. 2, Jan. 3, March 2 and March 9.
Edwards declared for the NBA Draft last Friday (March 20) and has been featured in as the No. 1 overall pick in a majority of mock drafts.
