Big Ten Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)
By Joey Loose
11. Carsen Edwards
Edwards is a 6’1 combo guard originally from Atascocita, Texas. He hit the college game with Purdue back in 2016 and there’s no doubt Matt Painter is glad he found this backcourt weapon down in the Lone Star State, with the next three years being pretty brilliant.
As a freshman, Edwards was a solid contributor, earning a spot in the starting lineup during the year and averaging 10.3 points per game. He’d play a role in getting Purdue to the Sweet Sixteen and would repeat that feat as a sophomore, though his role was quite increased. A month after dropping 40 points on Illinois, he put up 30 in their Sweet Sixteen loss to Texas Tech. Everything came together as a junior, with Edwards averaging 24.3 points per game and leading the Boilermakers to the Elite Eight. He dropped a pair of 42-point performances during that Tourney run, including in a legendary performance against Virginia, albeit in a loss.
Edwards won the Jerry West Award as a sophomore and was named a Second Team All-American as a junior. He helped Purdue win seven NCAA Tournament games in his three seasons and was one of the nation’s best 3-point shooters and overall scorers in the process. He actually averaged nearly 35 points per game during that Elite Eight run to end his collegiate career and really showed how great of a shooter he was.