MORGANTOWN — The WVU men’s basketball team secured a high-level transfer in Syracuse big man Jesse Edwards on Sunday.
Edwards — 6-foot-11, 230-pounds — spent four seasons with the Orange, but elected to enter the transfer portal on April 11.
“I felt it was time for a fresh start,” Edwards told ESPN. “I needed a new environment to challenge myself in and I think West Virginia is just that. I’ve met some great people on my visit here and the campus looks amazing. This team could be something special.”
Edwards is coming off a season where he averaged 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds, while also blocking 2.7 shots per game which topped the ACC.
Edwards shot 59% from the field and was a third-team all-ACC selection as a highly athletic and skilled big that has plenty of experience.
Edwards also improved his free throw percentage to 72.8% last season after shooting under 60% during his junior season.
The talented big started all 56 games he played over the past two seasons. It was over those two years that Edwards saw a significant leap in his overall production on the floor.
The Amsterdam native narrowed his choices down to West Virginia, Kansas and Gonzaga, but it was the Mountaineers that were able to secure his commitment after getting him to campus for his first and only official visit over the weekend.
Edwards was hosted by senior guard Jose Perez and was able to get a complete picture of Morgantown while on campus over the weekend.
The Mountaineers moved quickly in the Edwards’ sweepstakes and was one of the first programs to contact him when he entered his name into the transfer portal. Things only built from there.
The athletic big has one year of eligibility remaining in his career and was considered one of the top options available in the transfer portal giving the Mountaineers a massive in on the recruiting trail.
Edwards is just the latest in a series of off-season moves for the basketball program, as WVU also has secured transfer pledges from Arizona point guard Kerr Kriisa and Manhattan guard Omar Silverio.
Kriisa averaged 9.9 points and led the Pac-12 in assists per game at 5.1 and has two years of eligibility remaining. Silverio didn’t play this past season due to transferring, but averaged 10.9 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 37% from the field the year prior at Hofstra. He also shot 36% from 3-point range and would have one year left in his career.
West Virginia also has been able to keep Perez, forward Tre Mitchell and guard Joe Toussaint in the fold for another year to put together a strong nucleus for next season’s roster.
Even with Edwards in the fold, the Mountaineers are still targeting pieces for next season in the transfer portal as the program is playing host to former Iowa State guard Caleb Grill.
At 6-foot-3, Grill spent three seasons at Iowa State and last season averaged 9.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 37% from deep. Grill took an official visit to Missouri first, but the Mountaineers were still able to secure a visit from the experienced guard.
Like Edwards, Grill has only one year of eligibility remaining.
–Story by Keenan Cummings
