Freshman eager to show versalitity

[MeanGreen61]

Freshman eager to show versatility

Edwards’ ability blends well with Mean Green

By Andrew Bavarena

Intern

February 17, 2006

Coming from a former No.2 nationally ranked high school basketball program and being named first team All-State in Alabama, there was no question NT freshman Harold Edwards could play basketball at a high level.

Edwards, who mulled over offers from prestigious programs such as Georgetown and Georgia Tech, said he chose NT because he felt he could make more of a contribution early on. Although he came from one of the top high school programs in the nation, LeFlore High School in Mobile, Ala., he still knows he has a lot to prove and more importantly is confident enough to know he will prove himself.

“I considered Georgia Tech but in the end decided to go with North Texas because I wanted to come in and make an immediate contribution,” said Edwards, a versatile athlete who can play either small or power forward.

While he hasn’t gotten as much playing time as one might expect from such a highly regarded recruit, Edwards is staying patient, knowing his time will come.

“I just want to make sure I keep improving every year and never regress.” Edwards said. “If I do that, I know I will reach my potential.”

Edwards said the way the team interacts off the court translates into good chemistry on the court.

“It’s easy to play with people that you’re close with,” Edwards said. “You know they trust you, that they’re not doing what’s best for them but what’s best for the team. You don’t have any guys out there who are looking to get individual accomplishments or accolades, but rather team accolades.”

Kobie Baker, a former assistant to NT head coach Johnny Jones, recruited Edwards.

While Edwards doesn’t feel any sense of reluctance to prove himself again, he does know he has to make the most of his playing time with Jones to crack the starting lineup.

“At the beginning of the year I wasn’t getting in too much, you know,” Edwards said. “I was studying hard and trying to stay out of trouble. I was also being a freshman, being bullheaded trying to do things my way. Now I’ve learned that if I just take my time and be patient, things will come around.”

Edwards’ most memorable experience with the team wasn’t a no-look pass thrown to him by guard Isaac Hines on a fast break. Nor was it an alley-oop he caught making a back-door cut.

Edwards’ most memorable moment came on a day when he might have otherwise been sitting in his dorm room eating packaged sliced turkey on wheat. On Thanksgiving, the coach invited all out-of-state players over to his house for Thanksgiving dinner.

“Coach Jones opened up his house to us,” Edwards said. “You can tell he really cares about his players and it showed that day. It was as if we were sitting with our own family. I can’t say how much thankful I am and respect him for that.”

That Jones opened his home to them is another testament to the cohesiveness of this team.

While Edwards played mostly center in high school, he has already learned to play both forward positions. This trait has given him a versatility that many players would envy.

Both Edwards and Jones said his flexibility on the court is his best contribution to the team.

At 6 feet 6 inches tall, Edwards usually has a slight height advantage over a lot of the small forwards he plays against, which gives him more cushion on whoever he is guarding. On the other hand, he is quicker than most power forwards and can outmaneuver them because of his comparably smaller size.

“Harold Edwards has the ability to play the three and the four spot,” Jones said. “I think that that gives him an advantage over some other people that we have on the team and that we’re presently recruiting. When you have the flexibility to play both inside and outside, that shows the talent level [of Edwards] and we’re looking forward to exploring that later on in his career.”

Edited February 17, 2006 by MeanGreen61