Purdue Basketball: 2017-18 grades for the Boilermakers
By Shane Skeary
Vince Edwards (B+) – 14.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists
Edwards was the engine that made the Boilermakers go in his four years in West Lafayette. Sometimes that engine would stall out for a game or two and it made you want to pull your hair out. But I digress…
Much like the two seniors before him on this list, Edwards usually stepped up when the moment called for it. None more evident that the Round of 32 game vs. Butler. Without Haas, he brought it upon himself to lead the team and he did just that. Edwards finished the game with a team-high 20 points on 6/8 shooting and provided moments like this:
It’s plays like that which make Purdue basketball fans everywhere wonder what Edwards could have been if he locked in ALL THE TIME instead of disappearing as he sometimes did in crucial moments.
Edwards was indeed special. A versatile, 6’7 wing that could do just about everything asked of him on both sides of the floor. While his shooting splits (47.6/39.8) slipped a bit from the year before, his points per game rose to 14.6 while averaging a career-high 31.6 minutes per game. Not to mention the back-to-back All-Big ten nods – just saying!
In addition to all he accomplished, Vincent represented one half of the Edwards & Edwards law firm this year and the duo took the Big Ten by storm:
Next step for Vincent is most likely the NBA, where he could carve out a nice role as a lengthy, 3 and D prospect. Unfortunately, scouts have noticed his lack of effort at times in his collegiate career (have I mentioned that yet?), especially on defense. All in all, Vince embodied what it meant to be a Boilermaker and we wish him the best.