VJ Edgecombe hails from the land of paradise. Specifically, Edgecombe was born and raised within the tropical landscape of the Bahamas. Despite growing up in the scorching heat of Bamini, VJ never shied away from playing pickup games in the yard to advance his game. Later on, those pickup games would do him good since by the time he was 13 years old he was going against talent 4 or 5 years older than him in the Bahamian camp Buddy Hield hosted. Realizing that he had a bright future ahead of him, Edgecome decided to take a leap into America in hopes of fulfilling his dream of making the NBA.
Edgecombe went on to Florida his freshman year, yet was unable to start off his high school career due to the challenges of the pandemic. However, in sophomore year, VJ started playing with a local AAU team in which he finally displayed his explosiveness at the rim and intimidating stance on the defensive end to those outside the islands. As time went on, VJ was able to gain traction and ultimately got accepted to play in a league against the nation’s top prospects.
Not only did VJ dominate against the country’s top youngsters, putting up 17 points per game, but he solidified that he was the best player in his class. Proving that his name shouldn’t only be known back in the islands, Edgecombe earned League Player of the Year and Gatorade New York State Player of the Year. As a result, offers came flying in and it was up to VJ to determine his basketball future.
January 14, 2024 was the day when VJ took matters into his own hands and committed to play at the collegiate level for Baylor University. It’s not a frequent occurrence when a valued recruit like VJ selects a college outside Duke, yet VJ admitted that Baylor is “where my heart is and they made me feel at home.” After all, the school that Edgecome finds comfort in is in need of another star guard after the departure of Ja’Kobe Walter, so this will be a great fit for the five-star recruit. However, ahead of his freshman year, there are some key areas of play Edgecombe could work on.
Despite being an advanced scorer, VJ could improve on playmaking and facilitating. He should learn how to impact the game offensively without needing to score and touch the ball all the time. While being a good shooter, he should also find a way to bolster his three-point shooting. Even though Edgecombe has been able to further his handles and passing, he is still capable of turning over the ball. His left-hand needs further development as well, but that does not stop him from getting by defenders for an impactful finish.
As for his strengths, the guard has stellar anticipation and reaction time, never giving up at any end of the court he is competing in. He is an intimidating force defensively who is a disrupter of passing lanes and a retriever of carelessly tossed balls. He is a nightmare during transition due to his flashy acceleration and solid strength. His extraordinary ability to rise vertically causes him to be capable of making many fall victim to his tomahawk dunks. Baylor is truly fortunate for landing VJ, given his skill package, and he’ll only become better.
Awaiting to exercise those skills in his first game as a Baylor Bear, 18-year-old VJ Edgecombe showcased his aggressively explosive nature in the Olympics Qualifying Tournament. Playing alongside NBA pros Buddy Hield – the very own man who hosted the camp VJ shined in – and Deandre Ayton in the Bahamas national team, Edgecombe stole the spotlight averaging nearly 17 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2 steals per game. However, despite not managing to qualify his team for the Olympics, Edgecombe had a memorable performance proving that he is more than ready for the collegiate level.
Ever since Baylor’s addition of Edgecombe, they have skyrocketed the potential of the program and have increased their chances of taking home the national title. He has already been established as a dynamic sky-rising finisher and his development is far from over. His superior defense makes him stand out from all the rest, causing him to be an integral piece of whatever roster he plays in. With that being said, VJ Edgecombe has all the opportunities to be the best basketball player he can be. Nonetheless, whether on his bright green lawn in the depths of the Bahamas surrounded by the chirps of tropical birds or on the bright green Baylor hardwood encompassed by the chants of the lively crowd, all VJ wants to do is play basketball.
