DaytonDailyNews.com

News flash: Middies forward Bill Edwards Jr. is good — real good.

If his 28-point, 10-rebound exhibition against the Hamilton Big Blue last Friday wasn't enough to convince you, Edwards turned around on Tuesday and dropped another double-double, 33 points and 13 boards, on the Mason Comets. In each contest — both victories, by the way — the 6-foot-6 junior looked like a man among boys.

His play over the past week is the type that makes college recruiters salivate.

Middies basketball coach Bob Ronai said this may be the best two-game stretch of Edwards' career at Middletown.

"He's starting to come into his own," Ronai said. "He's scoring points, but he's playing well in other areas too. He's rebounding well, and he's playing a lot better defensively."

"It's been one of my better stretch of games," Edwards said. "I just knew I had to take my game to the next level for my teammates."

Edwards leads the Greater Miami Conference in rebounding with a 9.2 average and is among the league's top scorers. And he's done it after missing seven games with an injured ankle.

"I have to deal with it and play through it," Edwards said of his injury.

"He still isn't 100 percent," Ronai said, noting that Edwards still has swelling in the ankle, must undergo about 35 minutes of treatment daily and wears a protective brace. "He's probably about 75 to 80 percent tops."

That has to be a scary proposition for the Middies' upcoming opponents as Edwards gets healthier, particularly given how dominant and confident he has been of late. The Middies face GMC rival Princeton tonight at Wade E. Miller Gym. Edwards missed the first meeting of the season between the teams — a loss for the Middies — due to injury. He said he looks forward to tonight's game.

"It was tough watching the first game. You never want to watch your teammates lose without you, especially when you feel like you can make a difference," Edwards said.

Ronai said his players are starting to gel, and he expects they will be ready for tournament play. And as for Edwards, the coach urged fans to remember that he's still very young.

"I just wish people in this town would understand that," Ronai said. "He's still a kid, and he's going to make mistakes. He's learning and growing, but no matter how good he plays, it's still not enough for some people who come and watch him. It's not fair."

Unfortunately, Ronai acknowledged, that's a burden many great athletes have to bear. I don't think it's a stretch to say Middletown hasn't seen a basketball player of Edwards' caliber in some time. He's as good as, if not better, than some of the high school phenoms who have grabbed headlines throughout the region in recent years.

During my talk with Ronai, he said one thing that I think should ring true to all Middie fans.

"Kids with (Edwards') level of talent don't come around all the time," he said. "People should appreciate him while he's here."

Contact this staff writer at (513) 705-2584 or kaldridge@coxohio.com.