Justin Edwards became the second Kentucky Wildcat to declare for the NBA Draft. It was expected that the Philadelphia native would be a one-and-done player when John Calipari signed him to his 2023 Class. Although he did not quite live up to lofty expectations, those predictions turned out to be correct when he issued the following statement Thursday night.

“This season, my experience in Lexington, thanks to my coaches, my teammates, and you the fans, has been everything I dreamed it would be,” he announced. “I am so grateful to have been a part of the legendary Kentucky program, getting to represent the blue and white with everything I have. Thank you to the Wildcat community for embracing me from my arrival and making Kentucky feel like home.

I need to specifically shout out my family for their unwavering support throughout my journey, which has fueled me every step of the way. To my brothers and teammates, thank you for being there and working alongside me each and every day. To Coach Calipari and the entire coaching staff, thank you for pushing me to be the best version of myself.

After careful consideration and with a deep appreciation for the opportunities and experiences I’ve had here in Kentucky, I have decided to take a significant step in my basketball career. With much gratitude, I am excited to announce my decision to declare for the NBA Draft.”

The 6-foot-8 wing started 30 of the 32 games he participated in his freshman season. He averaged 8.8 points, and 3.4 rebounds. He shot 48.6% from the field, 36.5% from three, and 77.6% from the free throw line.

Edwards came to Kentucky has the No. 3 ranked player by Rivals in the 2023 class. He did not get off to the start that was expected. There was a two-month stretch between December 9 and February 3 in which he failed to get in double figures in 11 of 12 games including nine straight. That streak was capped off with a scoreless outing against Arkansas.

From there his offensive game began to show some improvements. His scoring average moved up slightly to 9.9 points. He reached double figures in 7 of his final 12 games. His best showing was a 28-point outburst against Alabama. He was perfect from the field going 10 for 10, and four of four from the foul line. One miss in five five free throw attempts kept him from having a perfect game.

However, there were also games down the stretch where the scoring woes continued. He had just two points at Mississippi State, and two in an SEC Tournament loss against Texas A&M.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony predicted Edwards to be chosen at the end of the first round at No. 30 in his latest NBA Mock Draft.

Edwards joins Adou Thiero in declaring for the draft. The duo combined for 49 starts and averaged 16 points, and 8.4 rebounds between them.