Kayleigh Heckel, Rob Wright, and more react as projected lottery pick VJ Edgecomb shares snaps from intense practice session
Highly touted NBA prospect VJ Edgecomb provided a glimpse into his rigorous training regimen.
Edgecomb, projected as a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft, shared snapshots on Instagram from his practice sessions with his trainer, Olin Simplis, at Academy USA in Los Angeles.
UConn women's basketball transfer Kayleigh Heckel, BYU guard Rob Wright and Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr reacted to the photos.
"yeaaaa bud," Heckel wrote.
"him," Wright commented.
Clayton, meanwhile, shared a fingers-crossed emoji.
Heckel played in the same Long Island Lutheran High School as VJ Edgecomb. She was a freshman at South Carolina last season but transferred to UConn in May. Meanwhile, Edgecombe played with Wright at Baylor last season, but the two failed to lead the Bears past the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
According to ESPN's post-combine mock draft, Edgecomb is projected to be drafted as high as No. 4 by the Charlotte Hornets.
Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo compared Edgecombe with Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball, saying that he's a mixture of the two. His explosive downhill drives, combined with his defensive capabilities, make him a lethal weapon alongside Ball and Miller for the Hornets.
NBA features VJ Edgecomb in playful "Get To Know" segment for fans
On Saturday, VJ Edgecomb featured in a Get To Know segment by NBA on YouTube, allowing fans to learn more about him ahead of the draft.
The first question he answered was the full meaning behind the initials in his name, "VJ," which stands for Valdez Jr. Edgecomb shared what it was like playing basketball growing up in the Bahamas.
"The toughness, the heat, you know what I'm saying? You play on concrete, outside, playing against mainly grown men too. That’s what helped shape me and who I am," he said.
VJ Edgecomb also revealed his favorite NBA player growing up, whom he tries to model his game after.
"It was Wade and LeBron, but right now my favorite player is Ant — Anthony Edwards," he added. "I feel like we're both super explosive, and he's a two-way player too. That's what I like about his game."
The Bahamas native averaged 15.0 points and 5.6 rebounds as a freshman at Baylor before declaring for the NBA draft.