4. Carsen Edwards, Purdue
Slash Line: 7-for-23/4-for-12/8-for-9
Stat Line: 26 pounds, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
The player that does it all for Purdue, Carsen Edwards made a first-round matchup against Old Dominion his night on Thursday. That’s as his team won, despite an interesting stat line.
With 26 points, Edwards was the catalyst towards the Boilermakers advancing to the second round. He even added seven rebounds and four assists. The shooting line was not terrific, with just 7-for-23 from the field — that’s below 33.3 percent — and 4-for-12 on three-pointers.
As a draft prospect, Edwards is a 5-foot-11 point guard, who averaged over 20 points per game as a junior. It’s after an efficient sophomore season, which he chose to extend his college career from. Whether that helped remains to be seen, because he’s probably no more than a second-round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
With the high-volume shooting (19.5 shots per game) and 3.2 turnovers to 3.0 assists, it does not bode well for his stock. So Edwards’ next game, and the draft combine if he declares, are meaningful towards him being selected in the second round.
The New York Knicks don’t have anything clear-cut at point guard. Dennis Smith Jr. is around, but if there is no commitment to him beyond this season, will they select a guard at any point in the draft?