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Potential No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards leaving Georgia, declares for NBA draft

Georgia guard Anthony Edwards announced on Friday that he is leaving school to declare for the NBA draft. He will be a candidate for the No. 1 pick.

He made the announcement on Twitter.

The book on Edwards

Edwards, 18, averaged 19.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 40.2 percent from the field and 29.4 percent from 3-point distance as a freshman. Georgia finished 11-21 in his lone season in Athens.

While his shooting will need to improve at the next level, scouts laud him for his elite athleticism, ability to get his own shot and potential as a defender. A 6-5, 225-pound shooting guard, Edwards is explosive at the rim, and scouts predict his athleticism and mechanics will translate into success as a shooter in the NBA.

An explosive athlete, Anthony Edwards could be the top pick in the draft. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
An explosive athlete, Anthony Edwards could be the top pick in the draft. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Other potential No. 1 picks

There is no consensus No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft. Former Memphis center James Wiseman, who left school after NCAA recruiting violations surfaced, and guard LaMelo Ball are also candidates for the top pick.

Ball, the brother of New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball, opted to skip college and most recently played for the Illawarra Hawks in Australia's National Basketball League.

Dayton forward and likely NCAA National Player of the Year Obi Toppin has shot up draft boards as an expected lottery pick, but falls out of the top three picks in most projections.

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