Memphis is in contact with James Madison transfer forward Terrence Edwards Jr., one of the most talented players in the transfer portal. Penny Hardaway continues to seek a variety of avenues to improve his roster. This time, he’s making an effort to acquire a very versatile and dynamic wing player.
The leading scorer on a 32-win Dukes team, Edwards is bound to have a significant amount of suitors in the transfer portal. Who is Edwards, and why is he so sought after?
Who is Terrence Edwards Jr.?
Terrence Edwards Jr. is a 6’6 junior forward with one year of eligibility remaining. He has spent four seasons at James Madison and has been a double-figure scorer for the Dukes the past two seasons.
Edwards averages 17.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He shoots 42.7% from the field, 34.3% from three, and 81.0% from the free throw line.
Edwards’ Game
At 6’6, Edwards is a jumbo-creator who can play multiple positions offensively. The former James Madison wing thrives with the ball in his hands and has a knack for making plays.
One of the best traits in Edwards’ game is his playmaking ability. He can be tasked with running the point guard position and do so effectively. Edwards had a 21% assist rate last season and showcased his passing prowess in a variety of ways. He is comfortable against pressure, being able to fire passes with either hand into tight windows from afar. Furthermore, the versatile forward has a great touch on his passes and puts the ball in the shooting pockets of perimeter shot-makers consistently.
Creation Ability
Edwards certainly succeeded in an increased role this season, effectively managing more possessions as a pick and roll ball handler. He is very crafty and athletic for his size. Edwards uses snake dribbles to get into the lane and long strides to get to the rim. As the ball screen handler, he scores a solid 0.781 points per possession.
The 6’6 wing thrives getting downhill, using his body to his advantage against smaller defenders. He is a skilled finisher, being able to complete plays at the rim with either hand and possessing soft touch in the paint. He shoots 49.7% at the rim, at times trying to get too fancy and putting himself in difficult situations.
Edwards is an elite isolation player for a wing, scoring 1.068 points per possession in these possessions. He has a crafty handle and has a variety of moves in his repertoire, getting to his stepback and spin move frequently. He can break down defenders off the bounce and get downhill or create separation on the perimeter for jump shots.
Off-Ball Juice
To go with his elite creation ability on the wing, Edwards too thrives away from the ball. He is fantastic in spot-up situations, either quickly rising up for a jump shot or taking advantage of bad closeouts to get to the rim. He scored 1.077 points per possession in spot-up situations for the Dukes this season and loves getting to his left-hand on the dribble drive.
Edwards curls off screens effectively and with quickness, creating separation off the ball and wearing out defenders. On multiple occassions this season, Edwards found himself with a wide open layup or three-pointer simply due to his off-ball movement. He scored 1.154 PPP coming off off-ball screens and 1.292 PPP on cuts in his junior campaign.
Other Suitors
Edwards is one of the best players in the nation and one of the premiere players in the transfer portal. Consequently, he is bound to have countless high major suitors and will command significant NIL money from those schools.
Memphis has the financial capability to compete in that respect. That money should put them in position for Edwards if they were to make an all out effort for his services.
Various schools to reach out to the JMU wing include Arkansas, Creighton, Auburn, Tennessee, Oregon, and more.
