Growing pains: Edwards overcomes mono, tonsillectomy in 1st season with Zags

The journey from the Montana Class AA state basketball tournament to the NCAA tournament was a long one for Gonzaga freshman Ryan Edwards.

The 7-foot-1 Glacier grad was a highly-anticipated, if under the radar, recruit for the Bulldogs entering the season. Working hard over the summer to tailor his body and his game to the rigors of the Division I college season, he looked to be a diamond in the rough as the basketball season kicked off.

Edwards, who averaged nearly 13 points and eight rebounds in his senior season at Glacier, scored 13 points on 6 of 7 shooting in his first game in a Zags uniform. Things were looking up for a kid who had planned to redshirt entering the season.

“It was such a good feeling,” Edwards said.

Then he got sick.

At first he came down with a case of mononucleosis. Already down 50 pounds from his playing weight at Glacier, the big man lost another 20 in his bout with the virus.

Shortly after recovering from mono, he had to have a tonsillectomy, shacking him up for another few weeks and forcing him to miss the entirety of the nonconference season.

“Ryan came in and he had a very nice summer,” Gonzaga assistant coach Brian Michaelson said.

“He worked hard to get himself in shape. He made a lot of progress and then he got really, really sick. For a good month, probably closer to six weeks, he was fully out of commission. There was a good month where he wasn’t around at all.

“Obviously, that’s really hard for anybody to miss that amount of time, let alone a true freshman that’s just kind of learning the ropes and getting his feet wet. That was a significant set back that caused him to really miss the entire preseason. Not just the games, but also the practices, which are such a huge part of the season.”

Just as tough, while recovering at home during a cold, snowy November in Kalispell, he missed the Zags trip to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational, along with a slew of games that could have helped him establish a role on the team.

“It was definitely hard going home and watching the games on TV, when you could be there on the bench,” Edwards said. “Watching them in Maui was definitely hard. The worst was getting all the (photos) from the guys. That was brutal.”

When he was finally able to return to the court, he had dropped nearly 50 pounds and had to work back into shape.

“Really, he had to start fresh just after Christmas time when league started,” Michaelson said. “Which was a tough break for him.”

“It was tough when I first got back,” Edwards said. “I was definitely out of shape. Going up against (sophomore center) Przemek (Karnowski) and running up and down (the court) was definitely hard on my body.”

It was tough enough preparing the first time. The transition from playing against 6-5 posts in Montana to 7-footers in practice everyday was stark.

“The first week we worked on hitting and posting up,” Edwards said. “It was just so much more aggressive and more powerful than I’m used to.

“It’s completely different compared to high school. Actually having to guard people my size. Definitely a different ballgame.

“It’s more physical. You can’t take easy shots like I would on a 6-4 post back in high school. You have take the shots that will get over him and are accurate at the same time. It’s just being more physical and taking more shots.”

The speed and knowledge of the game increased as well as the physicality.

“In high school you can wait for everybody to get down the floor and get the pieces set,” Edwards said.

“Now it’s just run and gun. They’re going to start the play whether you’re down there or not. You always have to come off ball screens, know what the ball screen coverage and post coverage is. There’s so much you have to take in. Knowing the scouting report is such a big key. It’s just a higher level at every aspect of the game.”

Once he got his feet back under him, he’s made some great strides.

“It’s been remarkable seeing him improve,” Michaelson said.

“His rate of improvement, both in terms of his body and physical conditioning and his mental understanding of the game and of the competitiveness that it takes, as well as his skills, I think all three of those areas he’s made as good of improvements as you could possibly hope for in the middle of the season. It’s been really impressive from that standpoint. He’s worked hard at it and deserves a lot of credit for that.”

Edwards slowly worked his way back into the Bulldogs’ rotation. At first it was just a few minutes in relief when the team’s other centers got into foul trouble. Eventually, he earned a spot of his own, even if it’s not for big minutes every game.

“At the very beginning I was tentative,” Edwards said. “I didn’t want to make mistakes. I’d go out there not wanting to mess up and then go sit down. Now I feel like I can go out and contribute. Actually, be a role player on the team. It’s a different mentality.

“You have to prove to the coaches you can play. I had a game that I think I proved to the coaches that I can play at this level. I think I earned my playing time that way.”

His breakout game came on the road against BYU. He scored five points and hauled in five rebounds to help Gonzaga make a comeback in the first half. Gonzaga lost, but he kept them in the game.

“The team didn’t really play very well, but he was a huge boost for us in the first half,” Michaelson said. “Then he was part of the huge run that kept us in that game. Then at Pacific, a must win for us, we got in serious foul trouble. He came in once again and was part of the huge run that helped break the game open.

“When he’s gotten in there for his limited minutes, he’s delivered. He’s done what we’ve needed him to do. The team’s actually had a lot of success when he’s out there. His minutes, though limited, have been very good.”

With the help of his teammates he’s also adapted his game at the same time as adjusting to the rigors of the college classroom while spending life on the road.

“It’s just everybody,” Edwards said. “Kevin Pangos helping me with a lot of the scouting reports. You’ve got to know who you’re playing against, how to screen this person and all that stuff.

“Przemek helping me on moves. Explosive moves. Sam (Dower is) kind of a finesse kind of player. A bunch of different aspects of the game. I’m not just a hook shot kind of guy now. I can go to different areas of the court. I’m more explosive. I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better.”

“Really, you’ve got to start July 1 when he showed up on campus to really appreciate how far he’s come,” Michaelson said.

“His level of strength, his level of toughness. I don’t think people saw that out of him at the high school level like he is now. The way he’s able to produce is special. He’s got some gifts that in the future I think give him the potential to be a very, very good college big man.”