“He’s so much fun to coach,” Andrews continued, “because he’s such a unique, different type of player.”
That’s probably because of his unique upbringing.
The son of Wright State legend Bill Edwards and younger brother of Middies stars Darius and Bill Jr., Vincent has not only been around the game his entire life, he’s been fully immersed in it.
From the park on Rosedale Road to arenas in France, Italy and Germany, Vincent has been watching, playing and learning the game for as long as he can remember.
“I would be in Europe the entire school year watching my dad play professional basketball,” Vincent said. “I got to go over there and see what it was like to be the new kid in school from a different country, and I got to watch a lot of great players. It was an incredible experience for a kid. I still remember every single thing like it was yesterday.”
Barely old enough to write, Vincent already was taking notes. He watched every move his dad made, and when the game was over he’d be on the floor practicing what he saw so he could use them in the 2-on-2 games he played with his brothers and uncle Chris.
Vincent studied the players on the other teams, too, picking up different styles and techniques. On the bus rides he would chat up his dad’s teammates, eager to learn whatever he could. He learned a lot about basketball on those long rides, and a little bit of French, German and Italian as well.
The languages didn’t stick, but the basketball certainly did.
By the time Vincent joined his first league, he was a dominant force.
“It was hilarious,” said his first coach Glennetta Patton, better known to Vincent as mom.
Patton had a basketball background as well as a standout player at Monroe High School and later as part of the Junior College championship squad at Sinclair Community College. But she still was surprised by what Vincent was doing on the court.
“He was something else, doing whatever he wanted to out there,” Patton said. “I knew he was good from being around his dad and brothers, but I didn’t realize how much talent he had.”
As proud as she was every time Vincent sunk a shot, Patton decided it was time to add another lesson to the ones he learned overseas. She told him he had to pass the ball more, and she even implemented a team rule that required three passes before anyone could shoot.
Shortly after putting the rule in place, Glennetta watched Vincent take the first pass and fire up a shot. She benched him for the rest of the game.
“Oh, he was so mad,” she said. “He kept saying, ‘But mom, I was wide open.’ He made the shot, of course. But he needed to learn a lesson.”
That lesson still resonates today as Vincent averages 4.0 assists per game.
“Now he passes too much,” she joked.
Despite his willingness to get others involved, Vincent still averages 21.6 points per game. And his 12.2 rebounds lead the GMC by a wide margin.
“I honestly couldn’t care less about by stats,” he said.
When asked to describe his own game, Vincent replied “Very versatile and unselfish. The most unselfish player you’ll ever play with.”
Friday night in an 83-67 loss to Lakota East, Vincent scored 27 points to eclipse the 1,000-point mark for his prep career. He ranks 13th in Middies history with 1,004 and counting. Bill Jr. is seventh on the list with 1,129.
“It’s always been my goal to push him, and sometimes I even put that ahead of my own career,” said Bill Jr., who has had more time to work with Vincent of late after his junior season at Miami was cut short by a knee injury.
“I just want to see him to succeed,” Bill Jr. added. “I want him to be better than me.”
But at the same time he’s quick to point out Vincent isn’t there yet.
“He might get me in a game of H-O-R-S-E with our dad from time to time, but he’s not ready to beat me 1-on-1 yet,” Bill Jr. said.
“He’s my biggest role model,” Vincent said of Bill Jr. “He’s five years older, so he could have been one of those big brothers who didn’t care and wanted to do their own thing, but he’s always been there for me. He cares a lot. He cares the world for me.”
The two were together so often growing up that everyone just called Vincent “Little Bill.” But the little brother certainly made a name for himself lately.
Vincent already has scholarship offers from Xavier, Dayton and Purdue, and Michigan and Minnesota have been showing increased interest as well.
“Everybody knows who he is when he walks in the gym,” Andrews said. “Teams prepare specifically for him, and he’s still averaging 21 points and 12 rebounds while being double- and triple-teamed a lot. That’s impressive.
“And in addition to his sills, he’s one of the best I’ve ever been around as far thinking the game and dissecting it and being strategic about how he uses his skills,” Andrews said. “That’s the scary thing about him, is he still has plenty of room to get better. He still has the rest of this year and his whole senior year to leave his mark. By the time he’s done he’s going to be remembered as one of the greats to ever come through this town and through this league.”
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