B.J. Edwards, a former Tennessee basketball guard from Knoxville Catholic, plans on returning to college basketball despite playing for an NBA team this summer. He told On3 that he plans to enter the transfer portal with a "Do Not Contact" tag.
Edwards, who played for SMU last season, was one of 17 college basketball players who had exhausted their four years of eligibility but filed suit against the NCAA in Tennessee state court in an attempt to land an fifth year of eligibility. On July 31, he was granted a temporary injunction that, at least for now, puts him on the path to playing one final season at the college level.
The order handed down by Tennessee state court requires the NCAA to open a new transfer window for this group of athletes
from the class of 2022. The window is open from Aug. 3-10. The order does not exempt schools from the roster limit of 15 players, so Edwards can only join a team that has kept a spot in reserve.
While awaiting a ruling in state court, Edwards was not picked in the 2026 NBA Draft but did sign a contract with the Sacramento Kings and played in the NBA Summer League. He averaged 2.4 points across five appearances.
But the 6-foot-3 Edwards was a star for the Mustangs as they reached the NCAA Tournament's First Four last season, should have his fair share of suitors once he enters the transfer portal. As a senior, he averaged 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and an ACC-leading 2.3 steals per game while shooting 37.2% from 3-point range.
At Catholic, Edwards was named TSSAA Mr. Basketball in Division II-AA in 2021. The Irish made an appearance in the state championship game his senior year before Edwards, then a four-star prospect, committed to Tennessee. He played in 14 games as a freshman in 2022 before transferring.
Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at stephen.thompson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @stephenethom.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Former Tennessee basketball guard B.J. Edwards back in transfer portal after ruling
