Jesse Edwards knew as soon as it happened.
After fracturing his left wrist two years ago, the feeling was similar for the opposite one upon being injured during the Massachusetts game on Dec. 16. At the time he was hopeful that the outcome would be different.
Tests confirmed his intuition was correct but unlike last time which ended his season at Syracuse, there was a clear pathway for him to make it back onto the floor this time around. Thus, began the process of working his way back for his final season at West Virginia.
After undergoing surgery on Dec. 20, Edwards had to wait around four weeks for the bone to heal. Then the challenge became trying to get back the mobility in his right hand. That is obviously essential for the basics of playing basketball such as shooting, catching or even playing defense.
Doctors were encouraged with the test results on every occasion from getting the cast on to where he’s at right now which is trying to strengthen the wrist with hand weights.
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“They said it’s going to hurt a little, but you can get right back to where you were,” he said.
There were mental hurdles as well as the timing of Edwards’ injury couldn’t have been worse considering the Mountaineers were set to have their full roster intact for the first time all year. But having gone through the experience before and leaning on his family and friends helped in that department.
“It’s definitely tough. It’s not fun,” he said.
Edwards wanted to return for the Kansas game and even dressed, but in practice the day prior he couldn’t effectively catch, shoot or even pass the basketball. So, that wasn’t ever In the cards. But as he continued to get more days removed from the surgery, Edwards improved.
So much so that he suited up and saw his first action against Oklahoma State, albeit in 15 limited minutes where he was still working his way back from with what he can do on the floor as well as his conditioning. The latter was a focus of his while he was out, but game conditioning is a different animal.
It was a decision made entirely by Edwards who felt ready to return to the floor.
“It was really my third time back on the court so I was trying to do whatever I could to help the team,” Edwards said.
The senior center has continued to show improvement and received another major clearance this week. And that was evident in the following practice when he was even more aggressive.
“I think for him more than anything it will give him some peace of mind and some confidence moving forward. There is going to be a little bit of pain that he has to play through but it’s common with this injury,” head coach Josh Eilert said. “He played with less hesitation.”
Edwards is expected to don the wrap on his wrist for protection, although that will continue to be loosened as it becomes more stable.
However, his presence on the floor is just significant for West Virginia given the fact he is a lob threat and a roll threat on offense, while serving as the best rebounder that the Mountaineers have on their roster.
And Edwards is excited to be back doing what he loves.
“Every day makes a big difference in feeling and touch,” he added.
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