Ralphdaltonfan called it

[jeff halcomb]

I remember when season started Mr. Ralph stated the importance of having Justin
Edwards play like Justin Edwards. When many had given up on Edwards, Ralph did not and
neither did Cal.

I am not a Cal hater or a Cal lover but have to give
him much credit for sticking with Edwards. It would have been easy to give up on him in the early part
of season when he was clearly struggling . May be the best coaching move of the year by the way Cal has handled Edwards.

 

[Wildcats4ever2007]

Edwards was huge last night playing great defense and being tough with the ball on rebounds and drives. We will have to see if that remains when the shots aren’t falling at the clip they were last night.

Easier to play the way he did when you couldn’t miss.

 

[Catfan2226]

Edwards had a great game BUT it was one game. Consistency issues have been his biggest problem. I hope his confidence level shot thru the roof after yesterday.
Let's hope the light came on for the kid going forward.

I remember when season started Mr. Ralph stated the importance of having Justin
Edwards play like Justin Edwards. When many had given up on Edwards, Ralph did not and
neither did Cal.

I am not a Cal hater or a Cal lover but have to give
him much credit for sticking with Edwards. It would have been easy to give up on him in the early part
of season when he was clearly struggling . May be the best coaching move of the year by the way Cal has handled Edwards.

 

[CatOfDaVille]

Edwards had a great game BUT it was one game. Consistency issues have been his biggest problem. I hope his confidence level shot thru the roof after yesterday.
Let's hope the light came on for the kid going forward.

I remember when Brooks went off at KU two years ago, we all expected that to become the norm for him going forward.

It didn't.

I hope Edwards builds on this and becomes a major contributer down the stretch, but I need to see it consistently to completely buy in.

 

[ralphdaltonfan]

Appreciate the kind words but I know I DO NOT DESERVE this type of praise. All I've stated that MANY OTHERS on the site have is that he's not done anything negative at all and he's just felt pressure from within his own camp/living up to Draft status/hype. He's not been a bad teammate. Never sulked. Worked his butt off and put in extra work. That's been told to me and was mentioned as something I could say on the forum.

Also want to mention how many posters on the board had mentioned him playing small ball 4 spot like they did Chris Livingston a year ago. Justin played there yesterday quite a bit and interesting how the results broke through.

Think Edwards has shown flashes for a while offensively, but defensively and getting in his feelings with frustration over not seeing shots fall were why he was losing minutes. It's easy to get on someone when they are struggling as a player missing shots, but most coaches can live with it if they are taking good shots and contributing in other areas. Adou's play earned minutes, the 4 guards are going to play and Tre Mitchell was/will play.

I'm happy for him that his work paid off yesterday and hope that continues. For whatever reason Edwards seems to be the guy on the '24 team who gets 0 calls and gets the "WTH did he do?" calls against him.

The one area I think Cal is strongest is sticking with guys who are committed to improving/team. He's a guy who rewards that and it's something as fans that isn't easy to watch when players/team is struggling but if you saw them day to day putting in extra work, being a good teammate, etc...you'd want to give them a chance too. Especially if they are showing production in practice but for whatever reason it's not carrying over to games. Last night it did in a major way and happy for the team, Cal, and Justin.

Hope that confidence is carried to Starkville and while we all know he's not going to go for 28 or shoot perfect, a 12 pt, 6 reb, good defensive game is type that would be a nice carryover.

 

[bigbluedon]

I remember when season started Mr. Ralph stated the importance of having Justin
Edwards play like Justin Edwards. When many had given up on Edwards, Ralph did not and
neither did Cal.

I am not a Cal hater or a Cal lover but have to give
him much credit for sticking with Edwards. It would have been easy to give up on him in the early part
of season when he was clearly struggling . May be the best coaching move of the year by the way Cal has handled Edwards.

What are u talking about? Man o man

 

[bbncal02]

Edwards had a great game BUT it was one game. Consistency issues have been his biggest problem. I hope his confidence level shot thru the roof after yesterday.
Let's hope the light came on for the kid going forward.

Edwards has gotten better over the course of the last 3-4 games. They haven’t been hit performances but he hasn’t played poorly either.

He’s improving before our eyes.

 

[TheDude73]

One game at a time. Happy he had a breakout, but as someone above said, Cal has had a few “oh there he is!” games only to see that player revert back immediately and never have another game like it.

Bama plays almost no defense. The next 4 games will tell us if the Edwards of last night is here to stay.

 

[DraftCat]

Right I want Edwards to turn the corner more than anyone....

BUT lets be honest he played a team worse as defense than UK plays.

I'll admit though he's seemed to been teetering on a break out game for a while now. Just hope he can get some constancy.

 

[BC_Wader]

Before LSU Edwards had been playing much better. He needs to continue the agressiveness.

 

[LXWildcat]

I’m happy for Justin but can we just pump the brakes and let’s see if he can be consistent.

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

Hopefully DJ's turnaround is still to come this season. Happy for Edwards as it only helps this team going forward.

 

[shaudyshaud]

That was Edwards first big game but he has been playing good the last few games .

The good thing about this team is even with minutes getting cut we don’t have any bad apples on this team

 

[DeerTurkHunter1]

Appreciate the kind words but I know I DO NOT DESERVE this type of praise. All I've stated that MANY OTHERS on the site have is that he's not done anything negative at all and he's just felt pressure from within his own camp/living up to Draft status/hype. He's not been a bad teammate. Never sulked. Worked his butt off and put in extra work. That's been told to me and was mentioned as something I could say on the forum.

Also want to mention how many posters on the board had mentioned him playing small ball 4 spot like they did Chris Livingston a year ago. Justin played there yesterday quite a bit and interesting how the results broke through.

Think Edwards has shown flashes for a while offensively, but defensively and getting in his feelings with frustration over not seeing shots fall were why he was losing minutes. It's easy to get on someone when they are struggling as a player missing shots, but most coaches can live with it if they are taking good shots and contributing in other areas. Adou's play earned minutes, the 4 guards are going to play and Tre Mitchell was/will play.

I'm happy for him that his work paid off yesterday and hope that continues. For whatever reason Edwards seems to be the guy on the '24 team who gets 0 calls and gets the "WTH did he do?" calls against him.

The one area I think Cal is strongest is sticking with guys who are committed to improving/team. He's a guy who rewards that and it's something as fans that isn't easy to watch when players/team is struggling but if you saw them day to day putting in extra work, being a good teammate, etc...you'd want to give them a chance too. Especially if they are showing production in practice but for whatever reason it's not carrying over to games. Last night it did in a major way and happy for the team, Cal, and Justin.

Hope that confidence is carried to Starkville and while we all know he's not going to go for 28 or shoot perfect, a 12 pt, 6 reb, good defensive game is type that would be a nice carryover.

Wish he would have that same “stick to itness” with Z. I think he can continue to get better and better with time. He’s not really frail, just has to learn how to play.

 

[CASblue]

One game at a time. Happy he had a breakout, but as someone above said, Cal has had a few “oh there he is!” games only to see that player revert back immediately and never have another game like it.

Bama plays almost no defense. The next 4 games will tell us if the Edwards of last night is here to stay.

Yep. Just like Z had a good stat line…will it carry to the next match up? Or will they both revert back to previous performances?

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Edwards was playing better before the LSU & bama games. He isn’t gonna go 10/10 from the field every night, but if he can now give uk 10-15 points every night that is huge

 

[ukfan2410]

Wish he would have that same “stick to itness” with Z. I think he can continue to get better and better with time. He’s not really frail, just has to learn how to play.

Maybe Z doesn’t work as hard, or has missed a lot of time like Cal has said quite a few times. Maybe Z is just now practicing consistently 🤷‍♂️

 

[Rockfly78]

I remember when season started Mr. Ralph stated the importance of having Justin
Edwards play like Justin Edwards. When many had given up on Edwards, Ralph did not and
neither did Cal.

I am not a Cal hater or a Cal lover but have to give
him much credit for sticking with Edwards. It would have been easy to give up on him in the early part
of season when he was clearly struggling . May be the best coaching move of the year by the way Cal has handled Edwards.

I posted this on another thread but I think it lends to the topic.

The one and done culture has Kentucky fans spoiled. There was once a day when it took freshmen a minute to get right. Let’s hope this was a get right game for Edwards

 

[Rockfly78]

I’m happy for Justin but can we just pump the brakes and let’s see if he can be consistent.

He had a breakout game but he’s been consistently good for about 5 games in a row now. It’s time to get behind him. Since Mitchell went down no one has stepped up more.

 

[cal=8]

Edwards has gotten better over the course of the last 3-4 games. They haven’t been hit performances but he hasn’t played poorly either.

He’s improving before our eyes.

He's beginning to show spurts of consistency!

 

[It'saDoneDeal]

May be the best coaching move of the year by the way Cal has handled Edwards.

Could not disagree with you more.

Edwards was fantastic yesterday and had been playing solid the past few games leading up to yesterday's breakout. It's huge for the team that he looks like he's becoming a dependable weapon for us.

But make no mistake about it, Calipari completely did Edwards and the team wrong this year, and this year might be Cal's worst coaching performance (which is saying something).

Most coaches with a brain, and ones who aren't whores to a bunch of 17-year-old kids and their handlers and agents, would have been giving Edwards 8-12 minutes a game while letting him develop in practice and gain confidence in limited game time, and then have Edwards actually EARN (!!!) more playing time the better he played. Wild concept, I know. Any person with a set of eyeballs could see how damn lost and behind he was this going into this year. Instead, Cal starts him and plays him 28+ minutes a game because Cal would rather lose games if it means he still gets a chance to get pimped out by Klutch, and Edwards' confidence hits rock bottom because not only is he playing bad but Cal is turning the fans against the kid because guys playing leaps and bounds better than Edwards rode the bench while Edwards was out there blocking his own shots on the rim and contributing nothing.

Yesterday's performance by the team was frustrating to me because you can see how insanely talented and skilled this group is. And yet, we're probably going to be like a 6 seed and be lucky to make it out out of the first weekend. I think the vast majority of D1 coaches would have done better job with this roster than Cal has. So no, Cal ain't getting credit here.

 

[HagginHall1999]

Edwards had a great game BUT it was one game. Consistency issues have been his biggest problem. I hope his confidence level shot thru the roof after yesterday.
Let's hope the light came on for the kid going forward.

He's been pretty good for a month though. He just showed out on offense last night.

Since start of February and not counting last night.

21mpg
50%FG
38% 3FG
85% FT
9.5ppg
2.5rpg
1apg
1spg

After last night, 60/50/83, 12.1/2.7/1/1

He seems to be maximizing potential at the right time!

 

[ncaaky]

Vandy 17 points. 10 shots
Gonzaga 8 8 shots
Ole Miss 12. 7 shots
Auburn 4. 3 shots
LSU 9. 4 shots
Alabama 28 10 shots

78 points on 42 shots in last 6 games is unbelievable!

 

[DreadLox]

Hopefully DJ's turnaround is still to come this season. Happy for Edwards as it only helps this team going forward.

Wagner was freshman of the week for 3 or 4 straight weeks early in the year. Is it the nature of sports fans to remember only the most recent performances?

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

Wagner was freshman of the week for 3 or 4 straight weeks early in the year. Is it the nature of sports fans to remember only the most recent performances?

I'm well aware, not sure why you are coming at me with a smart ass remark for hoping one of our own also improves. You are trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill that's not there.

 

[BC_Wader]

Wagner was freshman of the week for 3 or 4 straight weeks early in the year. Is it the nature of sports fans to remember only the most recent performances?

Wagner has regressed it seems. I don't know if he's still hobbled. Looks like he isn't. He clearly isn't the player he was early in the season while Justin has picked it up. I'm fortunate we have a team that can make a run without any of those guys being THE guy. One getting into a groove is great. The both of them? Well, continue the defensive trajectory and the sky is the limit. I'm not counting this team out.

 

[Tida Nysage]

Like some have stated, playing at the 4 instead of the 3 played a big part of this imo. For most of the yr he has performed with all the bigs, including Tre. He’s not playing at the 4 when two 7 footers are on the floor or with Tre & a 7 footer.

Not saying this is THE reason for the excellent game but it’s certainly ONE reason imo.

Correct position. Growing confidence. Tre absence. Limited Bradshaw minutes. Continuing emergence of Adu’s play. All play a part

 

[IL Wildcat]

He's been pretty good for a month though. He just showed out on offense last night.

Since start of February and not counting last night.

21mpg
50%FG
38% 3FG
85% FT
9.5ppg
2.5rpg
1apg
1spg

After last night, 60/50/83, 12.1/2.7/1/1

He seems to be maximizing potential at the right time!

Yeah, he's definitely been playing well in recent games. He was unbelievable in this Alabama game. I will admit, for my part, he would have likely been sitting most games. He definitely wouldn't have been starting.

As for giving credit, sure, I will give Calipari some credit for sticking with Edwards and believing in him. I also give Sheppard some credit for recommending a sports psychologist to Edwards. But most of all, I think we have to credit Edwards for continuing to work hard, improve his game, and build more confidence (which comes from proven performance).

If Edwards continues to play well, the ceiling of this team gets even higher than it already was. Consistency is what we need now. They can beat anyone, anywhere, but will we see the same team every game out? I don't expect 120 points every game, but the effort and energy is what can be the same.

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

Wagner has regressed it seems. I don't know if he's still hobbled. Looks like he isn't. He clearly isn't the player he was early in the season while Justin has picked it up. I'm fortunate we have a team that can make a run without any of those guys being THE guy. One getting into a groove is great. The both of them? Well, continue the defensive trajectory and the sky is the limit. I'm not counting this team out.

This is basically what I was alluding to even bringing DJ up because there is potential in another freshman that can elevate this team's level of play should he get it turned around. Didn't know that word would trigger an out of context response, some just have to go out of there way to be an asshole. There is room for improvement, no denying that and if he repeats some of his performances from the UNC, Missouri, St. Joe's, Florida, Texas A&M and Georgia then it only helps this team. Has to get his perimeter shot fixed, 0-15 in the last 7 games.

 

[caneintally]

Could not disagree with you more.

Edwards was fantastic yesterday and had been playing solid the past few games leading up to yesterday's breakout. It's huge for the team that he looks like he's becoming a dependable weapon for us.

But make no mistake about it, Calipari completely did Edwards and the team wrong this year, and this year might be Cal's worst coaching performance (which is saying something).

Most coaches with a brain, and ones who aren't whores to a bunch of 17-year-old kids and their handlers and agents, would have been giving Edwards 8-12 minutes a game while letting him develop in practice and gain confidence in limited game time, and then have Edwards actually EARN (!!!) more playing time the better he played. Wild concept, I know. Any person with a set of eyeballs could see how damn lost and behind he was this going into this year. Instead, Cal starts him and plays him 28+ minutes a game because Cal would rather lose games if it means he still gets a chance to get pimped out by Klutch, and Edwards' confidence hits rock bottom because not only is he playing bad but Cal is turning the fans against the kid because guys playing leaps and bounds better than Edwards rode the bench while Edwards was out there blocking his own shots on the rim and contributing nothing.

Yesterday's performance by the team was frustrating to me because you can see how insanely talented and skilled this group is. And yet, we're probably going to be like a 6 seed and be lucky to make it out out of the first weekend. I think the vast majority of D1 coaches would have done better job with this roster than Cal has. So no, Cal ain't getting credit here.

This is the single dumbest post I have read on this board in the last year . We are all dumber for wasting our time reading this drivel and may god have mercy on your soul for such idiocy.

 

[BC_Wader]

This is basically what I was alluding to even bringing DJ up because there is potential in another freshman that can elevate this team's level of play should he get it turned around. Didn't know that word would trigger an out of context response, some just have to go out of there way to be an asshole. There is room for improvement, no denying that and if he repeats some of his performances from the UNC, Missouri, St. Joe's, Florida, Texas A&M and Georgia then it only helps this team. Has to get his perimeter shot fixed, 0-15 in the last 7 games.

His jumper is definitley broken. He started out cold from the perimeter, picked it up a bit, then went back to cold after the ankle. I love his intensity and FT making ability, but he just needs to focus on making the right play and finding the open man at the moment.

 

[Wildcats1st]

Appreciate the kind words but I know I DO NOT DESERVE this type of praise. All I've stated that MANY OTHERS on the site have is that he's not done anything negative at all and he's just felt pressure from within his own camp/living up to Draft status/hype. He's not been a bad teammate. Never sulked. Worked his butt off and put in extra work. That's been told to me and was mentioned as something I could say on the forum.

Also want to mention how many posters on the board had mentioned him playing small ball 4 spot like they did Chris Livingston a year ago. Justin played there yesterday quite a bit and interesting how the results broke through.

Think Edwards has shown flashes for a while offensively, but defensively and getting in his feelings with frustration over not seeing shots fall were why he was losing minutes. It's easy to get on someone when they are struggling as a player missing shots, but most coaches can live with it if they are taking good shots and contributing in other areas. Adou's play earned minutes, the 4 guards are going to play and Tre Mitchell was/will play.

I'm happy for him that his work paid off yesterday and hope that continues. For whatever reason Edwards seems to be the guy on the '24 team who gets 0 calls and gets the "WTH did he do?" calls against him.

The one area I think Cal is strongest is sticking with guys who are committed to improving/team. He's a guy who rewards that and it's something as fans that isn't easy to watch when players/team is struggling but if you saw them day to day putting in extra work, being a good teammate, etc...you'd want to give them a chance too. Especially if they are showing production in practice but for whatever reason it's not carrying over to games. Last night it did in a major way and happy for the team, Cal, and Justin.

Hope that confidence is carried to Starkville and while we all know he's not going to go for 28 or shoot perfect, a 12 pt, 6 reb, good defensive game is type that would be a nice carryover.

RDF helps keeps some sanity over here. Thanks for all your insights

 

[Fox2monk]

Appreciate the kind words but I know I DO NOT DESERVE this type of praise. All I've stated that MANY OTHERS on the site have is that he's not done anything negative at all and he's just felt pressure from within his own camp/living up to Draft status/hype. He's not been a bad teammate. Never sulked. Worked his butt off and put in extra work. That's been told to me and was mentioned as something I could say on the forum.

Also want to mention how many posters on the board had mentioned him playing small ball 4 spot like they did Chris Livingston a year ago. Justin played there yesterday quite a bit and interesting how the results broke through.

Think Edwards has shown flashes for a while offensively, but defensively and getting in his feelings with frustration over not seeing shots fall were why he was losing minutes. It's easy to get on someone when they are struggling as a player missing shots, but most coaches can live with it if they are taking good shots and contributing in other areas. Adou's play earned minutes, the 4 guards are going to play and Tre Mitchell was/will play.

I'm happy for him that his work paid off yesterday and hope that continues. For whatever reason Edwards seems to be the guy on the '24 team who gets 0 calls and gets the "WTH did he do?" calls against him.

The one area I think Cal is strongest is sticking with guys who are committed to improving/team. He's a guy who rewards that and it's something as fans that isn't easy to watch when players/team is struggling but if you saw them day to day putting in extra work, being a good teammate, etc...you'd want to give them a chance too. Especially if they are showing production in practice but for whatever reason it's not carrying over to games. Last night it did in a major way and happy for the team, Cal, and Justin.

Hope that confidence is carried to Starkville and while we all know he's not going to go for 28 or shoot perfect, a 12 pt, 6 reb, good defensive game is type that would be a nice carryover.

Agree 100%! I was so happy because he’s been great. It has to be hard to get so much flack and not living up to your projection. He’s worked and never stopped, never whines, just keeps playing. I hope this performance opens him up to great play the rest of the year. We could be amazing if he becomes a true NBA type prospect.

 

[Fox2monk]

Yeah, he's definitely been playing well in recent games. He was unbelievable in this Alabama game. I will admit, for my part, he would have likely been sitting most games. He definitely wouldn't have been starting.

As for giving credit, sure, I will give Calipari some credit for sticking with Edwards and believing in him. I also give Sheppard some credit for recommending a sports psychologist to Edwards. But most of all, I think we have to credit Edwards for continuing to work hard, improve his game, and build more confidence (which comes from proven performance).

If Edwards continues to play well, the ceiling of this team gets even higher than it already was. Consistency is what we need now. They can beat anyone, anywhere, but will we see the same team every game out? I don't expect 120 points every game, but the effort and energy is what can be the same.

Thing is this team can absolutely score 90-95 every game. Just decent defense will win almost every game.

 

[Fox2monk]

I remember when Brooks went off at KU two years ago, we all expected that to become the norm for him going forward.

It didn't.

I hope Edwards builds on this and becomes a major contributer down the stretch, but I need to see it consistently to completely buy in.

I never expected Keion to be that guy every game, but he did become a pretty consistently good player.

 

[Fox2monk]

He's been pretty good for a month though. He just showed out on offense last night.

Since start of February and not counting last night.

21mpg
50%FG
38% 3FG
85% FT
9.5ppg
2.5rpg
1apg
1spg

After last night, 60/50/83, 12.1/2.7/1/1

He seems to be maximizing potential at the right time!

Needs to rebound more. That’s about it besides continuing to be aggressive and play defense.

 

[TankedCat]

if it means a final four team , then it worked

if not, its just wasted investment at the expense of wins.

Edwards will most likely not be back so its all or nothing.

Not interested in a Cal believes in his players while losing in the second game of the tourney storyline.

 

[westerncat]

I hope that game against Alabama was a breakout game for him but like others I am going to wait and see how he does tomorrow night and for the rest of the season.

 

[IL Wildcat]

Could not disagree with you more.

Edwards was fantastic yesterday and had been playing solid the past few games leading up to yesterday's breakout. It's huge for the team that he looks like he's becoming a dependable weapon for us.

But make no mistake about it, Calipari completely did Edwards and the team wrong this year, and this year might be Cal's worst coaching performance (which is saying something).

Most coaches with a brain, and ones who aren't whores to a bunch of 17-year-old kids and their handlers and agents, would have been giving Edwards 8-12 minutes a game while letting him develop in practice and gain confidence in limited game time, and then have Edwards actually EARN (!!!) more playing time the better he played. Wild concept, I know. Any person with a set of eyeballs could see how damn lost and behind he was this going into this year. Instead, Cal starts him and plays him 28+ minutes a game because Cal would rather lose games if it means he still gets a chance to get pimped out by Klutch, and Edwards' confidence hits rock bottom because not only is he playing bad but Cal is turning the fans against the kid because guys playing leaps and bounds better than Edwards rode the bench while Edwards was out there blocking his own shots on the rim and contributing nothing.

Yesterday's performance by the team was frustrating to me because you can see how insanely talented and skilled this group is. And yet, we're probably going to be like a 6 seed and be lucky to make it out out of the first weekend. I think the vast majority of D1 coaches would have done better job with this roster than Cal has. So no, Cal ain't getting credit here.

I gotta push back a bit on your post here.
#1 Though he has started 25 out of his 26 games, Edwards is only 7th on the team in minutes per game. He has averaged just over 20 minutes per game, not 28. When he began struggling, his minutes dropped, which makes sense.
#2 He scored pretty well early in the season and got more minutes. It was thought that he'd be great from the jump, but that didn't prove to be true. Although, he did score in double figures in 6 of our first 8 games and his minutes in those games were about 28 minutes per game. But as his efficiency dropped, his minutes also dropped. Again, that makes sense.
#3 When we hit SEC play and he was struggling more, his minutes dropped again. That number dropped to 17 minutes per game in the first 7 games in SEC play. Against Arkansas, he only played 9 minutes.

I won't defend Calipari's coaching this season- we've had too many losses to excuse. I also won't defend those losses by blaming youth. I will say that injuries have made an impact on particular losses. I don't think I would agree with the post you replied to (which said this was Calipari's best coaching move of the year) But I wouldn't go nearly as far as your post goes in the other direction. Clearly, Calipari has believed in Edwards more than me. As I said in my post above, I wouldn't have been starting him and he'd have been getting less minutes from about 10 games in. That also coincided with steadily improving play of Sheppard and Dillingham and some slow starts by our team. But I think you're making some assumptions about why Cal has played him by saying he's a "whore to 17 year olds and their handlers." If that were the case, Edwards' minutes wouldn't have dropped from around 28 to under 20, which is what happened. Edwards did start but he was also the first one subbed in nearly every game. I don't think your post holds up. If Edwards continues on an upward trend, Cal will get some credit, and he should. He has definitely shown significant improvement since the Vanderbilt game.

Looking at those 6 games...
Edwards has shot 27-42 for 64%
He has scored 78pts for 13pts per game
His improvement is undeniable.

 

[TankedCat]

I gotta push back a bit on your post here.
#1 Though he has started 25 out of his 26 games, Edwards is only 7th on the team in minutes per game. He has averaged just over 20 minutes per game, not 28. When he began struggling, his minutes dropped, which makes sense.
#2 He scored pretty well early in the season and got more minutes. It was thought that he'd be great from the jump, but that didn't prove to be true. Although, he did score in double figures in 6 of our first 8 games and his minutes in those games were about 28 minutes per game. But as his efficiency dropped, his minutes also dropped. Again, that makes sense.
#3 When we hit SEC play and he was struggling more, his minutes dropped again. That number dropped to 17 minutes per game in the first 7 games in SEC play. Against Arkansas, he only played 9 minutes.

I won't defend Calipari's coaching this season- we've had too many losses to excuse. I also won't defend those losses by blaming youth. I will say that injuries have made an impact on particular losses. I don't think I would agree with the post you replied to (which said this was Calipari's best coaching move of the year) But I wouldn't go nearly as far as your post goes in the other direction. Clearly, Calipari has believed in Edwards more than me. As I said in my post above, I wouldn't have been starting him and he'd have been getting less minutes from about 10 games in. That also coincided with steadily improving play of Sheppard and Dillingham and some slow starts by our team. But I think you're making some assumptions about why Cal has played him by saying he's a "whore to 17 year olds and their handlers." If that were the case, Edwards' minutes wouldn't have dropped from around 28 to under 20, which is what happened. Edwards did start but he was also the first one subbed in nearly every game. I don't think your post holds up. If Edwards continues on an upward trend, Cal will get some credit, and he should. He has definitely shown significant improvement since the Vanderbilt game.

Looking at those 6 games...
Edwards has shot 27-42 for 64%
He has scored 78pts for 13pts per game
His improvement is undeniable.

you say you won't defend those losses by blaming youth and then mention injuries.

I wonder how many games UK would have won of those losses had Cal committed to playing the players that were contributing the most versus his commitment to developing them?

We'll never know the answer but I suspect common sense says there were line ups Cal could have played (Dilly on the bench?) that led to a win.

Even Cal and Edwards both agree that his development came from his commitment to being in the gym, not playing time in the games.