BJ Edwards leads Knoxville Catholic to state tournament

UT basketball recruiting target leads Knoxville Catholic to Division II State Tournament in Cookeville.

A Tennessee men’s basketball recruiting target led his team to this week’s Division II-A State Tournament.

Knoxville Catholic High School junior point guard BJ Edwards scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half of the Fighting Irish’s 45-36 victory over Chattanooga McCallie. The contest was a state quarterfinal Saturday afternoon at KCHS.

The Fighting Irish (21-3) overcame an early 10-4 deficit to outlast the Blue Tornado (12-7) and earn a trip to the Division II-AA Final Four.

Knoxville Catholic will open tournament play against Montgomery Bell Academy Friday (5 p.m. EST) at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville.

The Irish will enter the tournament as defending state champions as they claimed their first-ever state title in March before the COVID-19 pandemic ended all high school sports in Tennessee.

Edwards was named Most Valuable Player of the state tournament in 2020.

He holds multiple NCAA Division I scholarships and is a two-time Mr. Basketball Finalist.

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