South Carolina women’s basketball: Joyce Edwards player profile

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South Carolina’s Repeat Tour begins in about a month, on November 4 in Las Vegas. Throughout the upcoming month, GamecockCentral will profile each member of the team and how she is expected to contribute this season. Today we look at star freshman Joyce Edwards.

Joyce Edwards (Freshman, Forward, 6-3)
Player profile
Edwards was arguably the most coveted recruit in the country and the subject of a fierce recruiting battle. She is a positionless player who has the size and post skills to play inside and the guard skills to play on the perimeter. Edwards has unique instincts around the rim, whether she is rebounding or finishing. She is a solid ball-handler with a good mid-range shot and an improving three-point shot.

Preseason assessment
Edwards told me in July that she had her welcome to college moment in her first or second practice when she drove and got her shot blocked by at least three of her new teammates.

“That never happened again,” she assured me, and by all accounts, Edwards has made a quick and seamless transition.

“It seems like Joyce has been a part of our program for a long time, because she’s a South Carolinian,” Dawn Staley said.

During a recent practice, South Carolina’s social media team put a mic on Edwards for social media content. They captured Edwards calling out assignments and discussing where she should be on a certain play.

In response, Staley tweeted, “That’s a baby freshman communicating like that….when you hear a player communicating like that #IYKYK.”

Burning question: How will Dawn Staley deploy her newest weapon?
The advantage of Edwards’ versatility is that she could legitimately play wing, forward, or post. The disadvantage is that it falls on the coaches to figure out the right role. The exhibition at Memphis will give us a first glimpse of how they want to use Edwards, but it won’t be the final word. Staley has a history of experimenting in the exhibitions, so the second one against Clayton State might be a better preview.

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