Before the opening tip of every DePaul men’s basketball game, when the music is blaring and the crowd is cheering, the starters are introduced. All five emerge from the bench individually and walk through a tunnel of teammates before approaching Edwind McGhee. When they reach him, the fun begins.
McGhee has elaborate handshake routines with each starter. For Brandon Young and Jamee Crockett, McGhee slaps their hands and salutes them. McGhee pantomimes snapping photos of a posing Charles McKinney, and he tries to get “big” with Donnavan Kirk, jumping as high as he can into the 6-foot-9-inch forward. Cleveland Melvin and McGhee each pretend they’re ripping open their shirts.
“We always make fun of Cleve and call him ‘Cam Newton,’ so I pat him down and give him the Superman,” McGhee said, referring to Melvin’s likeness to the Carolina Panthers quarterback and his signature celebration.
A junior guard with the Blue Demons, McGhee is a source of the team’s energy, a “glue guy” as he put it. Though he only plays sparingly (61 minutes in nine games played this season), getting minutes primarily in non-conference games and blowouts, he is a leader for the Demons.
The ever-jovial McGhee is typically the first one to leave a bench to high-five teammates during a play stoppage, and he cheers and supports his teammates from the bench. He even appears on some of the recorded prompts on the jumbotron at Allstate Arena, leading a “Hey Go Blue” chant for the fans.
“I’m really excited about the game,” McGhee said, “[whether] I’m playing or watching my teammates excel.”
Young said McGhee constantly motivates his teammates, speaking words of encouragement and reminding the team to stay focused.
“Positive talk, nothing negative,” said Young. “If he sees you hanging your head, he’ll come and talk to you. He’s got a great spirit.”
McGhee commands respect from his teammates, who recognize the experience and basketball knowledge the guard has gained as a Blue Demon. There is no chasm between he and his teammates who get more minutes.
“I might not play a lot,” McGhee said, “but I have a voice on the team and the young guys listen to me, and the older guys that’s been with me for three years also listen.”
In addition to being DePaul’s version of Tony Robbins, McGhee helps his teammates improve on the court. He is one of the main guys on the scout team. McGhee is assigned to role play an opposing player, so he’ll scour film and impersonate that player during practice.
Before the loss to St. John’s on Wednesday, McGhee played the part of dynamic Johnnie’s starter Jamal Branch during a scrimmage, shooting from deep and taking it to the basket like Branch does. It gives DePaul’s starting unit a taste of what they might see come game time.
“He’s always working extremely hard,” head coach Oliver Purnell said of McGhee’s practice impact. “He’s always encouraging teammates. He’s always pushing the starters. And the big thing is he’s consistent every day. You know which guy’s gonna show up.”
Outside of basketball, McGhee is a sociable, upbeat person.
“I’m outgoing,” said McGhee. “I try to be really social around here. Always speak to everybody, do what I can to make sure everybody’s having a good time here, happy.”
Young said McGhee is a “jokester” off the court, and said that he and McGhee are like brothers.
“He just likes to have fun and a good time,” Young said, “always smiling and keeping a smile on other people’s faces.”
For the first two and a half years of his DePaul career, McGhee was a walk-on, but this quarter he earned a scholarship. DePaul had an unused one, so Purnell decided to give it to McGhee as a reward for his hard work and good attitude.
“I was really excited about it,” said McGhee. “It shows that coaches really are watching you, [and] are excited about what you’re doing on and off the court.”
McGhee is known for being a bright student as well. He’s a journalism major, interested in getting into sports broadcasting in television or radio. Last summer, he interned with the NBA Retired Players Association.
Though McGhee might have gotten more playing time at a different school, the Champaign, Ill., native chose DePaul because he loved the campus and the city. He also had a larger goal in mind.
“My dream coming out of high school was to play Division I basketball, regardless of whether I had a scholarship or not,” said McGhee. “I’m just trying to live that dream.”