Starter or backup, Corey Edwards has the same approach to practices and games. He's all in all the time, concentrating on every possession, devouring scouting reports, watching extra film on his own.
If he's not directing the Patriots on the court, the senior point guard remains a vocal sideline presence with what he calls “the loudest mouth on the team.”
When sophomore point guard Marquise Moore, who became the starting point guard last season, had to sit out Saturday's A-10 opener against La Salle with a sprained ankle, Edwards stepped in seamlessly. He performed his role perfectly, setting up teammates on offense and badgering opponents on defense, in the 70-62 victory.
“Even though he hasn't been starting and his minutes have fluctuated, he'sbeen very encouraging,” said George Mason coach Paul Hewitt . “l hear sometimes he can be a little discouraging (critical) in the locker room, if you know what I mean, when guys aren't doing what they're supposed to do.
“He's becoming the perfect captain in the locker room, on the court, on the bench. He's really grown up and matured. He's playing well. More than playing well, he's leading well.”
Edwards displayed his leadership in an early season practice. Hewitt was emphasizing ball security – eliminating turnovers. When the scrimmagingturned sloppy, the coach looked ready to erupt and about to have the team run sprints.
Edwards told Hewitt, “Coach, I got this.” The player called the team together, his teammates encircled him and he gave a short speech. Practice resumed with improved intensity and execution.
“He's a great communicator,” Hewitt said. “That's a weakness of Marquise Moore, who doesn't talk much. When Corey was out there (Saturday), you might have noticed I was more quiet than in most games because Corey was taking control of things and communicating what we want done. I like it that way. I prefer not to have to say much.”
The 5-11 Edwards, who started 44 games in his first three seasons, delivered a prototypical game Saturday. He took only two shots, missing both, but had seven assists, five rebounds and three steals to go with 3-for-4 foul shooting in 37 minutes. He made sure the ball got to Shevon Thompson, Jalen Jenkins, Isaiah Jackson and Patrick Holloway, each with 13 points.
“My role is to distribute the ball, make sure everybody gets the ball before I take my shot” said Edwards, who played at high school power Christ the King HS in Queens, N.Y. “I'm making sure the wings and big men are doing what they're supposed to do, making sure everybody's on point. I've been doing this naturally since high school. I worry about everybody else before I worry about myself.”
He does take pride in his defense, which usually means hounding the opposing point guard. But down the stretch Saturday, Edwards made a key play when he intercepted a post entry pass, leaping high to take the ball away from LaSalle's 6-8 Jerrell Wright.
“They said I jumped high,” said Edwards. “That's what you got to do to win. Sometimes you've got to make plays you don't normally make to win.”
His selfless style is the opposite that of his father, David Edwards, a high profile recruit in the 1980s, who averaged 41 ppg as a high school senior, attended Georgetown for one season and finished his career at Texas A&M. David Edwards toned down his flamboyant style by the end of his college years and made sure Corey didn't have a shoot-first-pass-later style.
“He kind of molded me into the player I am today,” Corey says. “He did things that got him in bad with coaches, and he didn't want me to be that way. Even though it didn't work out with (Georgetown coach John) Thompson, my dad changed later in his career and it helped him a lot. It let me know that coaches are right the majority of the time. It's the players that have to wake up and get the gist of things.”
Edwards, majoring in Sports Management and minoring in Education, wants to become a coach: “I've been around basketball my whole life. My father helped me understand the game a whole lot. My father played a big part in me wanting to be a coach. It's seeing things on the floor and making adjustments on the fly. It's something I'm good at and I talk to coach all the time about things.”
Hewitt thinks Edwards would be a natural as coach: “He's going to be an excellent coach. He's got a great personality -- he can recruit. The longer I'm around this game execution, strategy and schemes are all extremely important. But players make plays.”
HEALTHY CREW: The Patriots had a full team for Monday practice. Julian Royal practiced for the first time since November surgery on his right hand.
“He looked really good scoring but was a little rusty in terms of execution,” Hewitt said.
Moore also practiced. But Hewitt isn't sure if the ankle will be sufficiently healed to play in the next game, Thursday at Richmond: “He says he's much better. But I'm not going to force it. If he has soreness (Tuesday) or Wednesday, we'll probably hold him out because the season is just too long.”
A SEASON-LONG ROLL: Junior transfer Taylor Brown, Mason'sleading scorer on the women's team last year, has picked up her scoring pace. The 5-7 guard and former All-Met Player of the Year at Bishop McNamara is averaging 24.4 points, fourth in the country.
What coach Nyla Milleson appreciates is the offensive efficiency. Brown has more points (341) than shots (270).
“She doesn't have to have 30 shots,” Milleson said after Brown had 25 points on 9-for-16 shooting and fellow Georgetown transfer Jasmine Jackson20 points in Sunday's 66-57 win against St. Louis. “We can get other people involved. She's just tough. I really, really like what she's doing in transition and the open floor.”
