Draft Prospects in Demin, Edgecombe Duel in Baylor-BYU
![Jan 14, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Baylor Bears guard VJ Edgecombe (7) attempts to make a lay up while Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) watches during the first half of the game at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images Jan 14, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Baylor Bears guard VJ Edgecombe (7) attempts to make a lay up while Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) watches during the first half of the game at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2198,h_1236,x_1058,y_1232/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/nba_draft/01jjr8c1th0t2721smtk.jpg)
The 2025 NBA Draft is already gaining a reputation as a strong one, offering a wide range of prospects to choose from.
On Tuesday night, two of the very best — VJ Edgecombe and Egor Demin — faced off in a Big 12 matchup between the Baylor Bears and BYU Cougars.
BYU were the winners on the night, outlasting the Bears, 93-89, in a heated game that went into extra innings. But Baylor hybrid Edgecome was the best player on the court.
Across his loaded 43 minutes, he poured on 28 points on 9-for-15 shooting, adding five assists to two turnovers, with four rebounds and one blocks. Most importantly, the tweener hit a blistering six of his eight 3-point attempts, a massive break in his development as a shooter.
All-in-all, the 6-foot-5 dynamo showed just about everything against the Cougars, showing off athleticism, shot-making and stingy defense.
Demin, though, found a rhythm too. At 6-foot-9, he’s seen a mid-season lull in production, but is continuing to heat up, with Tuesday’s game adding fuel to the fire. He scored 15 points on 50% shooting, adding six assists, two rebounds and one steal. He managed to nail four of his five free throw attempts — some of which were crucial to his team’s win — with the only blemish on his game being his 1-for-4 ranged shooting.
As it stands now, Edgecombe has likely done enough to warrant top-five stock with his athleticism and defensive prowess alone, but his scoring output in recent weeks has that trending even higher. Per an earlier scouting report on Edgecombe: “When the Baylor freshman drives to the basket, he is one of the most fluid and smooth in the country. He has a wide array of dribble moves and a lightning-quick first step. Although opposing defenses will continue to get better at the next level and he no longer can rely on athleticism to get what he wants, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic that his ability to get to the rim will translate.”
Demin, too, has an exceptionally high ceiling, and that’s been on display plenty in his season as a frosh. He earned lottery acclaim too, with NBA Draft on SI previous writing: “A jumbo creator, Demin has a fascinating game that projects to translate well to the NBA. His style is more smooth than it is quick or explosive, but he’s very effective playing that way. Demin’s size and fluidity are what make him pop, given at 6-foot-8 he’s the size of a wing and will play a lot as a small forward at the NBA level, but he possesses guard skills.”
There's still plenty of time for the respective unique players to continue bolstering their stock in Big 12 play, but for now, each is trending towards being some of the first players to hear their name on draft night 2025.
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