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Atascocita's Edwards becomes most recent Houston-area NBA Draftee
From Atascocita High School, to Purdue University and now the next step of his basketball journey has been decided on where he will go.
Carsen Edwards is heading to the Boston Celtics.
"It's special to me," Edwards told VYPE. "This took a lot of time, work and sacrifices. This is just the beginning but just to be here is just a blessing. It feels good."
Edwards, who was a scoring machine at Atascocita and Purdue, was selected with the 33rd overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers before being traded to the Boston Celtics.
Former @AHS_Eagle_BBall star @Cboogie_3 talks with VYPE after being drafted by the Sixers and traded to the @celtics in the 2019 #NBADraft19
(@HumbleISD_AHS @HumbleISD_Ath @HumbleISD @abc13sports @abc13houston @BobSlovak13 @ToddFreed57 @KPRC2RandyMc @KPRC2AdamW @DTGoteraKHOU) pic.twitter.com/yK4h79jbBR
— VYPE Houston (@vypehouston) June 21, 2019
Last season, Edwards entered the NBA Draft before decided to pull his name out and return to Purdue for another season. During the NCAA Tournament this year, Edwards caught fire being named the Most Outstanding Player in the South Region, averaging 35 points in just four games. On two occasions, Edwards scored 42 points in the tournament.
Edwards celebrated this night in Kingwood in the lobby of the Courtyard Marriott, so that he could be surrounded by family and friends when his phone rang.
"That was most important to me," Edwards said. "Was finding a way to have everyone surrounding me were people that had been there with me and would continue to pull for me regardless of what happened tonight."
Edwards is just the most recent in the line of Houston-area stars to make it to the NBA, joining former Cy Lakes and Kentucky star De'Aaron Fox, who was taken in the first round of the 2017 draft, and Jarred Vanderbilt, who was a second-round pick in the 2018 draft and now plays for the Denver Nuggets.
For the kid from Atascocita now heading to Boston, Edwards said his advice to current high school players is simple - just put in the time.
"In the end, if you really want something and you put the time in, it'll be worth it in the end," Edwards said. "Just continue to work. I just hope dudes like me that may be the underdog, may not have all the hype, may not have everything that a normal basketball player has gives them hope. Just know that it's possible."