Davide Moretti, Nimari Burnett, Kevin McCullar, Joel Ntambwe, Marcus Santos-Silva
To make his starting lineup more capable of playing the type of defense that the program has become known for, Beard might take Edwards out of the lineup and replace him with Kevin McCullar Jr. After all, McCullar was without question the best on-ball defender Beard had in 2019-20.
Whereas Edwards was second-to-last in defensive rating for the Red Raiders this season, McCullar was tops. He gave up just an average of 89.7 points per 100 possessions.
What makes the San Antonio native so effective as a defender is his long wingspan. That allows the 6-foot-6 sophomore to deflect a number of passes and harass ball handlers while also checking taller players.
He’s also incredibly smart and has terrific basketball instincts. Despite being just a redshirt freshman last season, he was able to pick up the defensive scheme and he always seemed to be in the correct spot on the floor in relation to the ball and his teammates.
Taking Edwards out of the starting lineup for McCullar would be the most logical move if Beard wants to beef up his defense and rebounding. We know that Moretti will start without question and Tech will need Burnett to handle the ball, something that McCullar shrugged with at times this year.
The idea of Edwards coming into the game as a sixth man is also intriguing. He could provide instant offense off the bench and serve as a steadying force for the second wave of players, which is likely to be somewhat inexperienced with at least two true freshmen (Peavy and Agbo), a redshirt freshman (Tryeek Smith) and at least one new big man all expected to play backup roles.
Edwards has experience off the bench after being a key reserve as a true freshman but asking him to go back there as a junior after starting every game this past season would be a test of his pride. However, if he is concerned with what is best for the team, that might be a role that he will be asked to accept, and knowing what we do about him, it’s a move he would likely make with no complaints.