By Jackson Posey | Sports Writer
VJ Edgecombe is the No. 1 recruit in Baylor history.
That sort of prestige comes with expectations, expectations Edgecombe is more than prepared to live up to. After signing with Baylor in April, Edgecombe dominated for The Bahamas in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, averaging 16.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and two steals in four games on 57.1/38.5/81.3 shooting splits. He’s ready.
One Twitter post won't do it justice, but Edgecombe has ridiculous athleticism. Legitimately just doing laugh-out-loud stuff on a weekly basis. pic.twitter.com/cF4dcWQFn9
— Jackson Posey ✞ (@ByJacksonPosey) October 31, 2024
His athleticism has more nuance than “run-jump-dunk” — he has great body control and lateral quickness, and his stop-start accelerating is fantastic for a player with his build — but he didn’t get much opportunity to show that in high school. He never needed to. Even teams flush with blue-chip recruits and future high-major players weren’t able to slow him down one iota.
Edgecombe's run-jump-dunk athleticism was just completely unfair at the high school level, even against elite competition. Here he is dominating No. 25 Oak Hill Academy, which featured four-stars Micah Robinson (TCU), Christian Anderson (Texas Tech) and Deondrea Lindsey. pic.twitter.com/NxWXGAn1Iv
— Jackson Posey ✞ (@ByJacksonPosey) October 31, 2024
The one thing slowing down his interior scoring game is an over-reliance on his dominant hand. Edgecombe prefers finishing and dribbling with his right, sometimes at the expense of easier finishes or driving lanes. On the left wing, he almost always prefers to drive towards the paint than attack then baseline, a tendency which could be exploited more often by veteran Big 12 defenses.
“In high school, if you could force Edgecombe toward his left, it was a serious issue,” The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie wrote in his latest NBA mock draft. “His handle was drastically looser, as was his ability to control the ball through any sort of contact. He also struggled finishing around the basket with his left hand. … He gets better and better every time scouts see him. But without the left hand, it’s hard to see Edgecombe challenging in any way for that top slot [in the draft].”
He's typically a stellar finisher, but over-reliance on his dominant (right) hand can force him into awkward situations. It may or may not play a big role at the college level, but will certainly play a role in his NBA evaluation.
Similar thoughts here from @Sam_Vecenie: pic.twitter.com/OtdkSPVcSO
— Jackson Posey ✞ (@ByJacksonPosey) October 31, 2024
The jump shot will likely be the swing skill between secondary stardom and the Freshman All-American team. It’s consistent and repeatable, with a high release point and a bit by an early hitch in his shooting motion. But as long as he keeps making difficult shots, he’ll be just fine.
When it counted, though, he was money.
Edgecombe dropped 17 points (5/10, 3/5, 4/4) against Sunrise Christian (KS), one of the top programs in the nation. Here, he hits two deep, contested treys from beyond NBA range over FAU commit Elijah Elliott: pic.twitter.com/JLJdKxMqAP
— Jackson Posey ✞ (@ByJacksonPosey) October 31, 2024
Edgecombe’s exceptional horizontal and vertical explosiveness leaps off the screen. But the most exciting part of his game is his defense. He’s an active, physical defender who doesn’t idle his motor off the ball. It’s a rare recruiting class that features two elite freshmen defenders, but Edgecombe and Cooper Flagg legitimately fit the bill.
Maybe the most exciting part of VJ Edgecombe's game is his defense. He's an active, physical defender who plays with a high motor on and off-ball. If he can make the most of his physical talents on that end of the floor, watch out. pic.twitter.com/82upsdiJXB
— Jackson Posey ✞ (@ByJacksonPosey) October 31, 2024
Edgecombe’s game builds on itself, maximizing his athleticism by turning offense to defense. He’s the Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year, a ready-made contributor to a championship-caliber team who will form a ferocious perimeter defense duo with returning starter Jayden Nunn. Edgecombe and Robert O. Wright III are the best pair of freshmen west of the Mississippi River, and they’ll both play key roles as the Bears look to make another run in the NCAA Tournament.
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