Bahamian Valdez ‘VJ’ Edgecombe, already considered a top five prospect in June’s NBA Draft, is in Chicago, Illinois, looking to improve his draft stock by taking part in the NBA Draft Combine.
The combine is a multi-day event where college and international prospects showcase their skills and athletic abilities to team officials before the NBA (National Basketball Association) Draft.
Edgecombe was one and done in college basketball, declaring for the draft last month on his social media platforms. He was considered a lottery pick prior to his freshman season, and validated that perception with respectable numbers and jaw-dropping plays for the Baylor University Bears in the 2024-2025 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s basketball season.
There are reports that Edgecombe further impressed NBA scouts and team representatives on Tuesday. The question is how much did he improve his position? Dallas, San Antonio, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Utah own the top five picks, as revealed by the draft lottery on Monday.
Edgecombe is already turning heads. During the maximum vertical jump, he posted a 38.50” vertical, the highest of his group. Cooper Flagg, the consensus number one overall pick, had a best jump of 35.50”, three inches shorter than Edgecombe.
Edgecombe and the Bears lost to Flagg and the Duke University Blue Devils, 89-66, in the second round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Edgecombe had a side-high 16 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field in that game, and added six rebounds, an assist and a steal. Flagg had 18 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the field and added nine rebounds, six assists and a block.
For the season, Edgecombe averaged 15 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 34 percent from three-point range. He had a career-high 30 points in a game against Kansas State University in January, erupting for 20 of those points in the second half.
Edgecombe, 19, is a 6’5” super athletic wing player who could play both ends of the floor effectively. He started 29 of 29 games for the Bears this season, leading the Bears in minutes played at 32.7 per game, and was one of the more dynamic players in division one basketball in the NCAA. He had a number of highlight reel dunks and jaw-dropping plays.
Edgecombe finished second on the team in scoring and assists, and led the team in steals. He led all freshmen in the conference in scoring and finished third among freshmen in rebounds and assists.
He was named as the Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year and also earned All-Big 12 Freshman Team and All-Big 12 Second Team selections.
Edgecombe went into his freshman season as the number three prospect in the ESPN Class of 2024 as a consensus five-star recruit out of Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School in Brookville, New York, and certainly lived up that billing.
The Bimini native possesses elite athleticism and talent, particularly in his vertical jumping ability.
This week, scouts, coaches and team executives are taking a look at Edgecombe to see how well he fits within an NBA structure. He has already displayed a variety of NBA-ready moves. He is being described as a dynamic leaper with impressive speed, with the potential to become one of the NBA’s top shot-blockers from the guard position.
The 2025 NBA Draft will be the 79th edition of the annual draft, and is set for June 25-26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Edgecombe could realistically become the highest drafted Bears prospect in program history, a mark set by both Davion Mitchell and Jeremy Sochan in back-to-back years as the ninth overall selection in 2021 and 2022.
Edgecombe’s physical ability and super athleticism make him a tough prospect for teams to pass on in the NBA Draft. His name is certainly one to listen out for in the early lottery picks of the draft.
The draft combine continues last week at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Chicago.