Purdue's Carsen Edwards Declares for Draft
Carsen Edwards declares for NBA Draft. Incredibly season helped Matt Painter win coach of the year. I'll feel a lot more comfortable playing against Purdue next year when they don't have a guy who can put up 30 points game after game.
— Carsen Edwards (@Cboogie_3) April 7, 2019
Now if only Tillman and Winston do the same - but hopefully at the last instant to give Izzo little time to backfill. I would love to see Foster Loyer as their starting point!
Tillman said after the game he'd be back. Things can change but even if he does declare, it's probably w/out an agent and he'll return. He's a better version of Ward but with many of the same limitations (undersized, not a top tier athlete, not a shooter). Ironically Ward is more likely to leave since he almost did last year and his minutes will probably decrease next year. So there's a real chance he leaves to go get paid in Europe.
Like I said things can change with Tillman, but the only way I see him leaving is if he decides he just wants to get paid to provide for his daughter.
Tillman was telling a journalist the same thing in Freep article today. It's amazing that a 6"8" front court player with a kid and wife (summer wedding) is going to stay for his Junior year and not going to cash in for a few years in the NBA (there is no chance he changes his draft status with another year in college).
Yet, the same journalists (and a few of us) are skeptical that Michigan's fence sitters (notably Ignas) are going to return for next year.
I believe that izzo gets incriminating info on his players (sexual assaults) and leverages it for these kind of situations.
I once saw a prominent well-known fat Grand Rapids multi-millionaire MSU booster, who wasn't associated with Tillman's high school, talking to his mom for over a half hour at one his games, and then he committed to MSU a couple weeks later. Seemed strange to me.
That being said, I can attest Xavier is an overall good kid and hard worker.
Tillman will probably come back. I see absolutely no reason for Winston to do so but he probably will because it’s Izzo and he somehow gets people to come back every year. Still, losing McQuaid and Goins is significant because they were the consistent 3 point threat down the stretch. Aaron Henry, Gabe Brown, and Marcus Bingham are waiting in the wings but that’s all potential right now.
I agree that State had a fantastic finish because of Goins (over regular season) and McQuad (who played out of his mind till the final four game). I think Winston reverts back to his uncertain self when he does not have someone else to carry the load on offense.
That person on offense would be Josh Langford, who is a 40% 3-point shooter and was scoring 15 points per game before he got hurt. He'll also have Tillman back to run the pick and roll/pop, so I think he'll have plenty of help on offense. The question mark is on the defensive end, as McQuaid and Goins were 2 of our best defenders. Langford was doing a solid job before he got hurt, but not as good as McQuaid, and I don't know who steps in to fill in for Goins on defense.
Aherns and Langford are cursed...I see neither playing in more than half of Spartans games next year.
15 PPG at an insanely inefficient clip. The offense is significantly better with Langford off the court. Thinking otherwise because of PPG and shooting percentage is lazy analysis. Only Loyer was less efficient on offense for the Spartans this year. Him taking almost 30% of MSU's shots is an abysmal choice and he is probably worse than that because 6 of his 13 games were against sub KP top 140 teams.
Using KenPom's adjusted defense rankings, he played 7 top 140 defenses (17 Kansas, 135 UCLA, 25 Texas, 26 Louisville, 46 Rutgers, 111 Iowa, 16 Florida). In those games, he was 39/87 from the floor (45%) and 18/35 on 3's (51%). Against top 50 defenses (Kansas, Texas, Louisville, Rutgers) he was 29/64 (45%) and 13/24 (54%). Against top 30 defenses, he was 25/52 (48%) from the floor and 11/19 (58%). If he can get back to shooting like that he can definitely help take some of the burden off Winston.
They'll both be back. Even if Cassius decided to leave, Rocket Watts is coming in and no chance Loyer starts over him.
Any idea what Watts hasn't signed with MSU yet?
Yeah, Watts up with that???
Well if Watts did sign with MSU, that might finally shed some light on what's going on over there...
OHM my God, this was a terrible joke. I am CURRENTly cringing from this joke. You are truly a reVOLTing person.
Watts signing with MSU would be a real kick in the family joules.
Ohm my goodness, these puns are going off the rails quickly.
Edit: Noted I was beaten to the punch above, my apologies to FauxMo. That was difficult for me to do because it always hertz me to apologize.
I don't disagree, but what would another year in EL do for Cassius? If Izzo works his voodo again, you have to wonder if he truly has the best interest of his players in mind.
Carson Edwards on this year’s Michigan team would have been really fun to watch. Good luck to Carson.
Carsen*
i don't think he's suited to play at Michigan (not saying I wouldn't want him). His ability to score was largely built around Painter's willingness to let Carsen shoot
Some of the shots he put up would have gotten him benched at Michigan
Not with this season's lack of depth. See: Jordan Poole. Hopefully Poole gets it together next season and ups his D. I would love to see him get it all together and get everyone off his back.
He's a chucker, but he's a good chucker.
Good luck to him in the pros.
Another player I will be glad that we don't have to face anymore, of course, but then my list of Big Ten Players I Groan At is a long list these last several years, longer than it was back in the day anyway.
'This is surprising news!'
-- said no one, ever...
Congrats to Carsen, and good luck...
His tourney run made this a no-brainer but it probably made sense for him anyway.
I know we give Edwards a lot of shit for his bad nights (put X on the All-B1G first team!) but dude is really fun to watch when he’s on.
Agreed, your draft prospects depend in part on how much hype you got (deserved or not) over the previous few months. Edwards was NEVER going to be at the center of national attention like he did leading up to the Final Four.
A guy like him would probably have been a top-15 pick 20 years ago. Now, probably late-first or second-rounder. I don't blame him for going. I just lament how little value the league places in experience and leadership lately.
Well, there's a reason the teams drafting lottery picks are drafting that high, and it ain't because they scout/draft well...
Good for Carsen. Undersized guard who wasn't recruited heavily, even by the local Texas programs, and has shown everyone how much talent and heart he possesses. Will be interesting to see how his NBA career progresses.
And good for us. Doesn't break my heart to not have to face him next year.
Should be interesting to see who all goes. I assume Smith from Maryland leaves too.
MSU is probably only losing Ward, and that's not a sure thing either, but he wants to play in Europe is the word. So MSU will be better on paper next season than this year. I think they have a couple freshman who will contribute right away. How Tillman and Henry develop is the key to them being very beatable. Henry has the most talent of any player they have.
We lose Matthews. Iggy is 50-50 IMO. If we lose Iggy we'll have a ways to go to catch MSU IMO. If Poole somehow leaves too, it could be a rebuilding year.
It’ll be interesting to see how his career plays out. Some college kids with less skill and career than Carsen has had have carved out careers; Yogi Ferrell for example. Quinn Cook has gotten a contract. Shit, DJ Augustin is starting on a playoff team. It’s really about landing in the right spot and getting minutes early before they have a chance to draft a younger version of you
Makes all the sense in the world, but it's crazy how a great tourney run covered up a lot of mediocre play by him to end the year.
He'll be a solid backup PG in the league.
Yep. I saw last night that D.J. Augustin is still in the league, so yeah.
Absolutely. Sam Webb mentioned that he looked like Ish Smith, which is another good comp. But it'll be a transition from being the #1-3 options every offensive set to being a guy who has to pick his spots. But he's a good enough player to make it happen.
Can't blame him after that Elite Eight game he had against UVa. He just went off. Might as well strike while the iron is hot.
He was a little bit hot/cold this year, as there were some games where he'd chuck the ball up 20-30 times and end up with maybe 10-15 points. But if he can be consistent in the league, he could be very dangerous.
which games this year did he only score 10-15 points??
Feel free to peruse this list for examples.
Well played Bronx, well played indeed.
Here's a list of players who averaged more points in an NCAA tournament than Edwards did this year. (4+ games to qualify)
- Bill Bradley, 1965
Somebody can check me on this, but I'm pretty sure that's the whole list. And that was thanks to 58 points in the third-place game.