Tag: V.J. Edgecombe

76ers land V.J. Edgecombe in latest 2025 NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report

This would REALLY help Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia 76ers are struggling more than nearly any other team in the NBA, but that could lead to get them help in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Philadelphia only gets to keep their pick if it lands between No. 1 and No. 6 overall in the lottery. Otherwise, it is owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder on draft night.

However, as of right now if the season ended today, Philadelphia would indeed finish with one of the worst records in the league and would thus likely (81.0 percent chance) keep their pick.

If they earn the No. 4 overall pick, Edgecombe is a strong candidate.

Read more from Jonathan Wasserman on why this could make some sense to pair with 2024 draftee and potential NBA Rookie of the Year candidate Jared McCain (via Bleacher Report):

“Edgecombe may be the most dangerous freshman or draft prospect in space with some outrageous quickness, burst and bounce. That athleticism has also translated to wild defensive playmaking rates: 4.5 steal percentage and 7.5 block percentage.

And that athleticism should buy him time with scouts when it comes to skill development. Even without a pull-up game or advanced creation, he’s averaging 11.0 points and 3.0 assists just by capitalizing in transition, attacking in straight lines, hitting spot-up threes, making the extra passing and finding open shooters.”

Edgecombe is off to a strong start at Baylor, including this highlight dunk against Gonzaga.

He is currently the only high-major freshman with at least 8 dunks as well as 8 field goals made from beyond the arc, per Bart Torvik.

On the other side of the ball, he is the only high-major freshman with a block percentage and steal percentage both above 4.0 percent.

Edgecombe would also join Tari Eason and Matisse Thybulle as one of the only high-major players to reach his impressive block and steal percentage thresholds in over a decade.

Here is our latest NBA mock draft at For The Win, where Edgecombe goes to the Toronto Raptors.

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VJ Edgecombe using NIL money to fund scholarships for Bahamas school

Baylor signee VJ Edgecombe launched a scholarship fund to help students at Gateway Christian Academy in his hometown in Bimini in the Bahamas.

On a thin strip of land surrounded by deep blue water on North Bimini Island sits Bailey Town. This Bahamian town, on an island about 95 miles from the country’s largest, Andros Island, and 55 miles from Miami, is home to Gateway Christian Academy, a middle and high school for students in the area.

This small academy was the school of five-star high school basketball prospect V.J. Edgecombe, who immigrated to the United States in ninth grade and is now completing his senior year at Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.).

Though Edgecombe has moved away, the school and community remain part of him. When he began making NIL money, Edgecombe wanted to help the academy in which he started his journey, Long Island Lutheran assistant coach Jay David said in an interview with USA TODAY High School Sports.

“The thought process was, ‘I want to try to give back to the school that helped me become the person that I am,’” David said.

Edgecombe and David worked with partners to develop a scholarship model and host a dinner when Long Island Lutheran played in the Bahamas this season. During the dinner, with the Gateway Christian Academy president and founder in the room, Edgecombe announced plans for a fund that would help cover tuition, books, and other academic necessities for students at the institute.

“Kids aren’t funded properly, (don’t) have a strong base, a strong foundation financially,” Edgecombe said during an interview ahead of the McDonald’s All-American game. “I just want to be able to help them, allow them to be happy, and give them the opportunity to get a free education at one of probably the best schools in the Bahamas.”

David said the group is still finalizing logistics, but the fund will cover at least three students this year.

“As it grows, they’ll start putting in some more specifications,” David said. “As of right now, it’s to help underprivileged kids who can’t afford school, and/or books, and different things like that.”

Edgecombe attended the academy for two years before moving to the U.S. Over the last four years, he has proven his legit potential to thrive at the collegiate level and reach the NBA. The dynamic shooting guard, listed at 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds, was named the Gatorade Boy’s Basketball Player of the Year in New York as both a junior and senior, posting averages of 17.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.1 blocks this year to clinch the back-to-back recognition.

In 22 minutes of play during the 2024 McDonald’s All-American game, Edgecombe had nine points, five rebounds, and two blocks. In the Chipotle Nationals opening round, he recorded 13 points, six assists, five rebounds, and two steals.

While some prestigious NCAA coaches have criticized NIL money as the dismantlement of amateurism in high school and college, Edgecombe is showing the merits of how this money can be used for community-building means.

As his focus shifts to Baylor University, where he committed in January, he’s keeping his beginnings in mind and helping Bimini students get an education.

USA TODAY High School Sports’ Kristian Dyer contributed to the reporting.

5-star V.J. Edgecombe commits to Baylor, using NIL for scholarships in Bahamas

V.J. Edgecombe, widely considered one of the top five boys basketball recruits in the 2024 high school class, committed to Baylor.

In the midst of another outstanding season, the University of Baylor men’s basketball team got another piece of good news. Five-star shooting guard V.J. Edgecombe, widely considered a top-5 prospect in the class of 2024, announced his commitment to the Bears program.

Edgecombe, who leads a stacked cast at No. 3 Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.), chose Baylor over other finalists Duke and Kentucky.

Edgecombe told ESPN’s Paul Biancardi that he chose Baylor for its “winning culture, a great staff and head coach.”

“Coach Drew is a genuine person; he has built an incredible program,” he said. “There was a deep connection with Baylor. They have a strong foundation of faith, and there was also a spiritual connection. That was important to me.”

That’s not the only new commitment Edgecombe is making. According to ESPN’s Ted Emrich, the Bahamas native is using NIL money he has received to create scholarships in his hometown of Bimini.

The Bahamas’ basketball scene has grown in recent years, and this summer, it earned a berth in the Paris Olympic basketball qualifiers, which will be a chance for the team to reach the Olympics for the first time. The team is building a foundation with proven talent, led by NBA players Buddy Hield, Deandre Ayton and Eric Gordon.

Next up is Edgecombe, a do-it-all player with athleticism and playmaking at 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds.

Biancardi wrote about Edgecombe’s game:

A powerful, athletic guard who is scoring the ball at a high clip from all three levels, Edgecombe is at his best attacking the rim and finishing. His 3-point shot has made big strides, and he decelerates into his pull-up game effectively. He has continued to develop his impressive playmaking ability, and his drive-and-kick game shows vision and accuracy to hit the open man quickly.

Edgecombe averaged 21.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists at the Sportradar Showdown in Las Vegas over the summer, according to Biancardi. One of his top games this season came against La Lumiere (La Porte, Ind.), in which he posted 21 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

Baylor, who won the National Championship in 2021, has lost in the Second round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in the last two years. Midway through the 2023-24 season, the Bears are 14-2.

Could Duke basketball be close to adding another 5-star in the 2024 class?

V.J. Edgecombe is set to make his college announcement on Sunday.

V.J. Edgecombe has announced that he will commit this weekend, putting an end to the recruitment of one of the nation’s top guards. And Duke basketball is perceived to be the favorite in the race to land Edgecombe.

A five-star guard from Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, New York), Edgecombe announced that he will be making his announcement on Sunday night. The announcement will be aired on ESPN2 and is scheduled for at halftime of the Hoophall Classic game between Montverde and Prolific Prep.

The final three are slated to be Baylor, Duke and Kentucky.

A 6-foot-4 prospect, Edgecombe is the second-highest ranked combo guard in the nation behind Dylan Harper (a Rutgers basketball commit). He is the No. 5 recruit in the nation according to ESPN.

If Edgecombe ends up at Duke, it would be the likely cap to a recruiting class that is truly tremendous. His commitment would give the Duke class, which currently has six commitments, a total of five players ranked as five-star recruits.

Duke would also join Rutgers with two commitments from top-five players in the class. Rutgers has the aforementioned Harper as well as five-star forward Airious ‘Ace’ Bailey in this class.

Harper just returned from injury on Friday night and scored 21 points for Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, New Jersey).