Does UMaine Mens Basketball Program Need Edwards more than Edwards Needs the UMaine Basketball program??

UMaine has given Justin Edwards permission to seek to transfer from the UMaine mens basketball program. Will the program, the coaches and his teammates really, really miss him?

Lets take a look at some facts and stats.

First off, how do you lead (tie) for the AE Conference in scoring with just a 16 points per game average and only make second offensive team selection after making the “Rookie of the Year Team” last season.

Maybe some the AE Conference coaches saw some of the same things I saw.
1. He is not a very good perimeter shooter.
2. He is just a good athlete playing hoops.
3.Stats…was only an average field goal percentage shooter as he shot 42% from the floor this year, only 27% for 3 pointers and was 68% from the line (in one game in which he was 4 for 14 which contributed to a loss)
4. He didn’t make good basketball decisions with the ball.
5. He was a shot looker first, dribbler second and passer third and last.
6. He did not seem to make his teammates better or maybe he didn’t care to do that.
7. Didn’t exibit that he was as coachable as he could have been.
8. He did not lead Maine to the promised land, let alone to a tournament win during his 2 years at Maine. His teams record was 23-36 during his 2 years as a starter for Maine.

Hailing from Whitley, Ontario, I do not know where he thinks he is going to end up.

I compare him athletically like last years senior and 4 year player Gerald McLemore, who like Edwatds was more of a one dimensional athletic player on the offensive end.

He certainly is a very athletic player hitness by some outstanding dunks during the season and showed his outstanding jumping ability. However, he relied far too much more on his athletivisim then he did his basketball descision mnaking skills. He was an athletic basketball player playing the game from the shoulders down instead of playing at least half of his game from above his shoulders.

He played in 29 of the 30 games this year, averaged 32.7 minutes per game second to Ali Fraser. He averaged 4.1 turnovers per game to 3.4 assists per game. He did lead the conference in steals averaging just 1.9 steals per game and he averaged 2.9 personal fouls per game.

His two year career saw him average 15 points a game as he scored 13.9 point per game his freshmen year and 16.7 ppg this past season. However, this season he committed 119 turnovers in 29 games

These certainly are not outstanding statistics and Edwards may find that he will not get as many offers that are much higher then Maines RPI and Team Power Rankings in his pursuits to play D1 basketball at a higher level.

Sometimes “A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the Bush”.

Also, sometimes, “The grass is always looks greener on the other side of the fence” but what makes the grass look greener is the question?

I personally feel, that if Maine lost Ali Fraser. he would be harder to replace and would be missed more than Edwards or McLemore will or where.

As one former coach stated when he learned one of his starters was going to transfer, said and I am paraphrasing “anyone who doesn’t want to play here, then don’t let the door hit you on your way out”.

As Frances Gen. DeGalle once said. ” The graveyards of France are filled with indespensiblre generals”.

I personally feel that he would have turned into another Gerald McLemore, and where is he playing today???????? and how many Conference tournament games did Maine win with him on the roster for 4 seasons.

Edwards has said all the politically correct words in leaving the program, but I wonder if the reasons he is giving for transferring because he wants to play at a higher D1 level is ever going to happen based on his 2 years of play at Maine as I do not think he is going to get any much higher D1 offers then the 19th America East Conference level of play, Remember the AE Conference is 19th out of 32 Conferenecs in the country.

The Umaine is a low low-major team that finished 277th out of 347 D1 colleges in the Realtimerpi.com ranking system for team power ratings.

The AE Confereence has moved up 3 spots to 19th from 22nd since Albanys 15th seed and good competition they gave number 2 ranked Duke in the West Region. Also Stonybrook at 60, Albany at 96, Vermont at 118, BU at 152 and Hartford at 176 in the relktimerspi.com Team Power Rankings shows how AMerica East has moved up from last years 25th place conference out of the 32.

I may be wrong and I truly hope I am, but in my evaluation of Edwards skills and abilities I do wish him all the luck in the world as he moves on in his D1 college career, as he certainly going to need it in my humble opinion to reach a higher D1 level then UMaine and the America East 17th ranked conference in the country.

It may another one of “those careful what you wush for, as you just may get it”.

No offers much higher then where thre America East Conference is and if all return next year including Edwrds they should be as talented as any team in the AE Conference, plus the addition of the 2 Candandian players and Maines Garet Beal.

Transfering is not always the answer if you are playing and a leading player and leading conference sscorer returning in the conference, plus the fact that the transferring player has to sit out the transfer year and in bifg time D1 basketball you as a recruited scholarship players is only as good as the next incoming recruited class of players.