The 2025 NBA Draft class is loaded at the top. Cooper Flagg demands the spotlight, and rightfully so, but he isn't the only future All-Star on the board. Several tanking teams will be satisfied with the outcome in June.
Right now, the projected second and third picks behind Flagg belong to the same program. Rutgers made waves by luring five-star freshmen Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey to New Jersey. It was a rough season overall for the Scarlet Knights, but their top prospects lived up to the hype and then some.
Harper is practically made in a lab for today's NBA. He's a versatile 6-foot-6 point guard who puts constant pressure on the rim and creates prolifically out of pick-and-rolls. Bailey, meanwhile, will be the most gifted shot-maker to enter the league in a while. He's not the most well-rounded player, but when you're 6-foot-10 and capable of burying tough jumpers from all over the floor, it's hard to complain.
There is debate over the exact order of prospects at the top of draft boards, but the overwhelming consensus puts Harper at No. 2 and Bailey at No. 3, which has been the case for months. Most credible draft experts, such as Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN, have the Rutgers stars following Flagg in quick succession.
That is not a set-in-stone situation, though. There's another prospect rocketing to the top of draft boards, and unlike the Harper-Bailey duo, he will get a chance to showcase his talents on the March Madness stage.
It's time to start paying attention to Baylor Bears freshman VJ Edgecombe.
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Baylor's VJ Edgecombe could challenge Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey for No. 2 billing in NBA Draft
Edgecombe, the Bahamian 19-year-old, defies physics on a regular basis. He's the best athlete in college hoops and his list of peers will be short in the NBA. Few players can cover ground defensively and explode to the rim like Edgecombe; he climbs the ladder for dunks easier than most folks walk up the stairs. His first step is devastating, and there's a Dwayne Wade quality to his defense. He will block shots on the perimeter, stonewall ball-handlers at the point of attack, and camp out in passing lanes with criminal intent.
It has been a dominant freshman season for Edgecombe at Baylor, a program that does not always promote stable production for its rooks. The Bears are a mess on defense, but Edgecombe carries significant individual value on that end. The offense, meanwhile, can peak higher than most. Edgecombe has the 16th-highest Box Plus-Minus (10.1) in college hoops. He ranks third among freshmen, behind only Duke's Cooper Flagg and Michigan State's Jase Richardson.
After beginning the season ice-cold from deep, Edgecombe's 3-point stroke has stabilized (36.5 percent since the New Year). It has been a bit more hit or miss over the last month, but Edgecombe's touch and mechanics project well enough. His 77.9 percent free throw rate is highly encouraging.
The thing is, Edgecome just needs to be a respectable shooter at the next level. He doesn't need 3s to fall at an elite rate — only enough to keep the defense honest. If Edgecome can draw his defender out of the paint, the entire floor opens up before him. It's impossible to keep the Baylor frosh out of the paint. He's not an advanced ball-handler, but Edgecombe consistently gets downhill and makes sharp passing reads. That is, when he's not going straight to the rim and detonating.
Edgecombe is a special finisher. He can hang and contort his body for what feels like a lifetime, evading shot contests with a nifty mix of strength, creativity, and agility. He has not gone to the line much this season, but Edgecombe's burst and physicality are a rare blend. He should be able to get defenders in compromised positions and take advantage. That is what stars are made of.
With ample room to grow and a strong two-way baseline — again, Edgecombe is an elite defender on the perimeter — he's making his case for that No. 2 mantle. I've moved him to No. 3 on the FanSided big board, with Harper feeling the heat. Edgecombe is currently projected as the No. 4 pick to Brooklyn in our latest mock draft.
If Edgecombe can help Baylor advance deep into March, which would hypothetically involve a win over Duke in the second round ... well, expect more draft boards to reflect his ascent.