VJ Edgecombe 2025 NBA Draft scouting report: How the explosive dunker from Bahamas struggled in week
Even for highly touted high school prospects, the transition to college basketball can be a struggle. That was certainly the case for VJ Edgecombe, who struggled mightily in Baylor’s blowout loss to Gonzaga. He scored four points on 2-11 shooting (18% true shooting), adding one assist, three turnovers, seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal.
We should never index too heavily on single-game samples, especially this early in the college season. Freshmen who end up developing into excellent players can fail against great teams and Gonzaga is an elite team.
VJ Edgecombe 2025 NBA Draft scouting report
Edgecombe’s athletic tools are his main selling point, boasting elite burst, vertical explosion and body control at 6-foot-4.
Gonzaga defended Edgecombe well, forcing him to score in the mid-range and limiting his overwhelming athleticism. However, Edgecombe did posterize a defender in transition, flashing his unbelievable hops in the open floor.
He wins on the glass with his vertical pop, snagging three offensive rebounds against Gonzaga. Edgecombe wasn’t able to convert on some of these chances, but his ability to keep plays alive and extend possessions will be valuable even when he’s struggling otherwise on the offensive end as a creator.
Despite his nuclear athletic build, Edgecombe has struggled to consistently apply those tools on offense. That’s been one of the main concerns surrounding Edgecombe’s ceiling throughout his high school career. He’ll need to keep developing his handle, footwork and driving feel to unlock his burst.
Edgecombe struggled to win off of the dribble against Gonzaga, failing to generate clean advantages. In this clip, Dusty Stromer slides under the ball screen to force a pickup. When Edgecombe can’t create advantages, he often relies on hop steps to reset the play, but this one ends in a bad pass turnover:
His handle is currently loose, as Edgecombe loses the ball without intense ball pressure. When Edgecombe spun back to his right, the defender easily steals the ball and turned it the other way in transition:
He’ll also need to prove his ability to handle out of pick and rolls. Edgecombe flashes some basic passing aptitude at times, but he’s early in his ball screen pace development. Here, Edgecombe loses his handle again before he can make a decision:
As many young guards do, Edgecombe often picks the ball up far too early. Elite vertical athletes like Edgecombe can often get away with this given their ability to hang in the air. But against college and eventually NBA athletes, this is a tougher way to live. Here, Edgecombe hangs in traffic and can’t spin the ball in over defenders:
But we still saw Edgecombe’s finishing chops in this game, which should be a strength of his eventually. When Edgecombe drives to his left, he’s comfortable finishing with that weak hand. Edgecombe once again leaps off of the ground quick:
Note how Edgecombe found his shot on the previous play. Baylor employed Edgecombe as a screener, a wise tactic to involve guards who strugglen on the ball. With Edgecombe popping to the perimter, he attacked into wide open space without pressure on his handle or processing.
Edgecombe missed all six of his jumpers, three of those coming from beyond the arc. In the past, Edgecombe’s shooting has been a strong point for his profile. I would expect his numbers to normalize eventually, but Edgecombe struggled to get his shots off inside the arc against Gonzaga.
He’ll settle for touch mid-range jumpers a bit too often, leaning on his leaping to fade away and create space. Baylor once again has Edgecombe as the screener to create space for him off the ball, a trend I’m enjoying early in the season:
For Edgecombe to reach his ceiling, he’ll need to threaten defenses from behind the arc. Edgecombe has plenty of evidence pointing towards him as a confident and capable shooter. The major points to watch for will be Edgecombe’s volume and shot versatility. Three 3-point attempts in 29 minutes should increase, but this movement 3-point attempt was nice to see:
VJ Edgecombe compensates for underwhelming offense with impressive defense
Defensively, Edgecombe fared better than he did on the offseason end. Edgecombe was an elite high school defender, as his unique blend of explosion, movement and instincts let him protect the rim and help on the weak side more than most guards can. Most of the NBA’s elite guard defenders defend the rim and Edgecombe should be no different.
Watch how quickly Edgecombe elevates from inside the restricted area to block Graham Ike’s shot here. Most 6-foot-4 freshmen guards cannot block shots like Edgecombe does:
On the ball, Edgecombe’s quick feet and hands let him disrupt handlers and force turnovers. Edgecombe forces a deflection here before pushing in transition and passing ahead for a layup:
Edgecombe’s turnover generation will result in some missed gambles, which should be expected. He’ll add tons of value creating possessions for Baylor, but some of these will lead to open shots. Edgecombe nearly snagged this steal jumping the passing lane but gave up a wide-open look:
Most freshmen, even ones who project as strong defenders, struggle off the ball early in their careers. Off-ball responsibilities and help principles become far more complicated at the college level. Here, Edgecombe loses his man off of the ball and gives up an open 3:
Edgecombe inarguably struggled in his college debut against Gonzaga. We shouldn’t question his status as an elite prospect over one game, but plenty of these problems will need fixing. As the season progresses, we’ll closely watch Edgecombe’s creation, shot selection and shooting consistency. Eventually, we’ll see his elite athleticism pay off on the offensive end.