Syracuse basketball, Jesse Edwards (Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)
By all accounts, Syracuse basketball sophomore center Jesse Edwards is a really nice young man. Based on interviews he’s given, articles written about him, and also a Zoom call that he conducted with media members on Thursday, myself included, it’s safe to say that the 6-foot-11 Edwards is hard-working and humble, polite and confident.
But once he steps onto the court, anchoring the Orange 2-3 zone on defense and looking to score, dish to teammates or grab offensive rebounds on offense, Edwards says that he has to put that nice-guy demeanor to the side and be aggressive, assertive – even mean, to some extent.