In a women’s basketball game earlier this season, Eastern head coach Brady Sallee got in freshman guard Megan Edwards’ face and asked her, “Are you gonna play or give up?”

With Edwards’ characteristically serious demeanor, she looked at her coach and said nothing, an answer that definitely spoke volumes to what kind of leader Edwards has become.

“She has a determination that you can’t measure,” freshman center Rachel Galligan said. “When she didn’t say anything, coach knew she was ready to play.”

For the most part, Edwards has been ready to play this season, as she is second on the team in scoring at 12.1 points per game.

According to Sallee, she has gone from a “shy, timid freshman to a leader” on a team that lacks in senior players.

In the training camp prior to the season, Sallee and Edwards admitted to having a hard time communicating with each other. Sallee credits the miscommunication to not understanding what the other person wants out of the other.

“At first, I don’t think she understood what I was saying to her,” Sallee said. “She didn’t know whether to pass, shoot or drive. She wasn’t running the offense.”

Edwards admits to the training camp practices being nerve-wracking, where she feels she was lacking in confidence.

“I didn’t have a lot of confidence during the early practices,” Edwards said. “I realized I wasn’t in high school anymore.”

With Sallee’s intense, no-nonsense personality, Edwards could have crawled into a hole and been forgotten this season. She chose a different path.

“That’s the thing I love about Megan,” Sallee said, “Whatever I say to her, she never takes it personal. She listens to and learns from what I say more than anything. She’s been a joy from that standpoint.”

Perhaps the most complicated facet of Salle-coached teams is the defense he requires his players to play, especially the point guard.

In Sallee’s pressing defense, the point guard is at the center of the press and is relied on to force the turnovers and create steals in the open court.

Although Edwards has been a big part of the Panthers’ defense and is third in the Ohio Valley Conference in steals (2.16 per game), she knows that her defense remains one of her weaknesses.

Sallee took it one step further, adjusting Edwards’ childhood nickname.

“Everybody calls her Midge, but we changed it to Mige,” Sallee said. “We had to take the ‘D” out because she wasn’t guarding anyone.”

Although Sallee has said she regained her original nickname for the moment, Edwards knows that it could change as soon as someone beats her off the dribble.

“I’m sure he’ll go back to calling me Mige,” Edwards said.

During her high school career in Des Plaines, Edwards played point guard all four years, but admitted struggles in learning the role at the college level.

Her stats echo her struggles as she has committed 84 turnovers, while compiling 70 assists, a staggering 0.83 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Sallee says his point guards are not meant to play in the John Stockton-form of pass first, shoot second.

“I like my point guards to be a little more creative with the ball,” Sallee said. “I’m not a big fan of telling a point guard to pass only. I’d prefer they shoot more.”

With turnovers being a problem, Sallee is toying with the idea of moving Edwards to the shooting guard position next year when senior standout Megan Sparks graduates.

“That’s definitely an option I’ve looked at,” Sallee said. “It all depends if we can sign a few guards or someone on the roster can step up. Then it would be more of a reality.”

After a recent victory against Tennessee-Martin, Sparks agreed with Sallee.

“She’s got two-guard capabilities, but I think she likes to play the point,” Sparks said.

Edwards joins five other freshmen on a Panther team that stands fourth in the OVC.

Her closest relationship is with Galligan, who is also her roommate.

“We all have a special bond together,” Galligan said of the six freshmen. “We always know what each other is doing. I’ve never seen a group with as much as chemistry as this one.”

Even though Sallee claims there is a more serious side to Edwards, Galligan begs to differ as she sees Edwards as more sarcastic.

“She’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met,” Galligan said. “She’s always there for a good laugh. She’s a great friend.”

Edwards compliments Galligan for helping her make the transition from high school basketball star to a vital role on an improving team.

“With her dominating in the paint, it makes it that much easier for us to get into our offense,” Edwards said.

Going back to her “timid, shy freshman” ways Edwards is not ready to anoint herself the leader just yet, although her teammates and Sallee tend to think differently.

“If she’s not a leader yet,” Sallee said, “she will be.”

“She’s been a coach’s dream.”