DENTON (4/13/05) -- North Texas head men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones announced Wednesday that the Mean Green signed Mobile, Ala., native and nationally-ranked LeFlore High School standout Harold Edwards to a National Letter of Intent on the first day of the late signing period.
Edwards is a 6-6, 215 pound forward that averaged 18 points and 12 rebounds per game to help lead LeFlore High School to a 35-1 record, the 2005 6A Alabama state championship game and a No. 10 spot in the final USA Today national rankings. Edwards finished the state tournament first in free throws made, second in rebounds and blocks, third in scoring and fifth in steals among all players.
The three-year varsity letterwinner recorded an impressive 29 double-doubles in 36 games on his way to receiving First Team All-State, First Team All-Region and First Team All-District recognition. Edwards was also named Nike All-America and a McDonald’s All-America nominee.
"Harold is one of the most competitive, energetic and up and coming basketball players in the entire city," said LeFlore High School head coach Otis Hughley. "He is very good and the scariest thing is his best basketball is ahead of him. He loved his visit to North Texas, the players and the great staff and those three things made his decision for him. He chose North Texas with his heart."
Edwards, a 2005 regional tournament MVP, was also the Mobile Register’s 2005 Co-Player of the Year along with teammate Brandon Hollinger, heading the Register’s list of the top 16 high school players in southwest Alabama. He finished his high school career as a two-time All-State selection.
He recently participated in the 2005 Alabama-Mississippi All-Star basketball game and was South Team’s MVP in the 2004 North vs. South All-Star Game with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
"We are excited about the addition of Harold Edwards to our program," said Coach Jones. "With his versatility to play on the perimeter as well as the inside, he will give us an added dimension that our team did not possess last year. His high school coach Otis Hughley has done a tremendous job preparing Harold for the next level. Harold comes from a winning program that was ranked as high as second in the country by USA Today last season and he played an integral part in the success of their team."
Georgia Tech, Georgetown, Mississippi State, South Alabama and Illinois State were among some of the school’s that were recruiting Edwards in addition to North Texas.
