Ed Nelson

Edward Richard Nelson (born March 18, 1982) is an American professional basketball player and former ACC Rookie of the Year. A 2004 NCAA Champion with Connecticut, he retired from professional basketball in 2015. High school Nelson was rated one of the top 25 high school basketball players in America by Sports Illustrated and was named Florida Player of the Year by USA Today. He averaged 26 points and 11 rebounds per game as a senior and led St. Thomas Aquinas to the Class 5A state title, with a 29-3 record. He was named state Player of the Year for Class 6A-5A-4A by the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel and was Most Valuable Player of the state tournament, including 29 points and 10 rebounds in the semifinal game. He was named to the first-team all-county by the Miami Herald and scored a season-high 39 points on two occasions. He was one of 14 players selected for the Capital Classic all-star game at the MCI Center, in Washington, D.C. Nelson averaged 21.5 points and 9.3 rebounds as a junior, leading his team to a 30-4 record and a berth in the 5A state championship game. He also reached the state title game as a sophomore, when he helped St. Thomas Aquinas to a 23-9 record while averaging 12.4 points, eight rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. The team was coached by Steve Strand. College career Nelson began his college basketball career as a power forward for Georgia Tech in 2001. He won the ACC's Rookie of the Year award in 2002, an honor he shares with Michael Jordan, Ralph Sampson, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, and Kenny Anderson. After two years, he transferred to the University of Connecticut to be closer to his family.