NBA Draft: Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe Dazzles Despite Loss

Five-star freshman VJ Edgecombe saw his best collegiate game yet in a Friday night loss.

Nov 17, 2024; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard VJ Edgecombe (7) dunks the ball against Tarleton Texans forward Ronnie Harrison Jr. (3) during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images / Chris Jones-Imagn Images

It wasn’t the thirteenth-ranked Baylor Bears night on Friday, suffering a double-digit smackdown to No. 11 Tennessee. But it was certainly draft prospect VJ Edgecombe’s.

A five-star freshman and near-unanimous top-five projected pick coming into the 2025 NBA Draft cycle, Edgecombe got off to a slower collegiate start than many anticipated, shooting just five-for-23 overall in his first two games.

Since those tough early games against Gonzaga and Arkansas, the positionally fluid five-star seems to have found his rhythm, putting up his best game yet in a blowout loss to No. 11 Tennessee on Friday night.

Despite a 15-point Vols win, Edgecombe was able to put together 20 points, three assists, two steals and one block up, shooting 50% from the floor and an extremely important 3-for-6 from beyond the arc. Until Friday, Edgecombe had shot just 23% from 3-point land despite a history of ranged shooting, so a great night on decent volume is sure to do wonders for his confidence moving forward.

The performance was much needed, as he suffered a setback to his momentum in the form of a 4-for-15 shooting night against St. Johns on Thursday.

He’s stuffed the stat sheet all season — 6.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 4.2 stocks per game for the Bears — but was able to showcase his white-hot scoring potential against Tennessee. Something teams will certainly be looking out for as the collegiate season wears on.

Edgecombe will have more competition than initially expected near the top of the ’25 draft, with the emergence of players like Egor Demin, Tre Johnson and more as legitimate options. But his size, athleticism and combination of skills will be hard to pass on, certainly.

Baylor will look to get back into the win column against New Orleans on Wednesday, Nov. 27 at 1 p.m.

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