Duke sensation Cooper Flagg has dominated the headlines in his first and likely only college basketball season, and reasonably so. He's been arguably the best player in the nation, backed by him being the favorite to win this year's Wooden Award. Subsequently, other young rising stars have been overlooked, like Baylor's V.J. Edgecombe. Nonetheless, the Bears guard continues to quietly stack up quality performances and make a legitimate case for being the country's second-best freshman.
Edgecombe has established himself as a nightly two-way contributor for the Bears. Yet, his game and confidence are impressively improving with each passing game. He's showcasing top-10 2025 NBA draft pick skills, punctuated by a stellar outing in Baylor's most recent loss against No. 19 Arizona.
VJ Edgecombe today for Baylor despite the loss to Arizona
— nbadraftpoint (@nbadraftpoint) February 18, 2025
24 points
4 boards
2 assists
6-13 FG
1-6 3P
11-14 FT
Despite the loss and the tough 3-point shooting night, VJ keeps showing how effective of a player he could be at the next level, as a two way threat in transition pic.twitter.com/uRUTywAe7s
VJ Edgecombe has a real argument as the second-best freshman in college hoops behind Cooper Flagg
Scoring 24 points and recording four rebounds and two assists, Edgecombe was remarkable in the Bears' 74-67 defeat at the hands of the Wildcats. His efforts weren't why Baylor fell short and another reminder of why he was the class of 2024's No. 4 recruit.
Blossoming into the special talent many expected him to be upon arriving in Waco, Edgecombe flashed his size and athleticism versus Arizona. He didn't shoot the ball exceptionally, specifically from three (1-of-6), but the dynamic physical traits were fully on display.
Regardless of who the Wildcats threw at him defensively, Edgecombe presented matchup nightmares, getting downhill easily, early and often. Arizona had no answers for his dynamic blend of speed, burst, explosiveness, physicality, verticality and ball-handling. The presumably one-and-done standout pro-level prospect pressured the rim regularly, drawing a single-game career-high of 14 attempts from the free-throw line.
On the other end of the floor, Edgecombe was his typically incredible self. He failed to log a steal or block in a contest for the first time all season. Nonetheless, his relentless motor made life difficult for Caleb Love and the Arizona backcourt.
Averaging 15.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game with solid .448/.355/.796 shooting splits, Edgecombe is a force to be reckoned with. Alas, Flagg and Baylor's down 2024-25 campaign has stolen much of his well-deserved spotlight.