Former LuHi star VJ Edgecombe has risen to top of Draft class

VJ Edgecombe gets to live out the dream on Wednesday night.

Twice named Newsday’s Long Island Player of the Year while at Long Island Lutheran before going to Baylor, the 6-5 guard will be one of the first names announced when the 2025 NBA Draft opens at 8 p.m. at Barclays Center.

Edgecombe’s station in the draft holds a bunch of interest because it could be on the rise. When he finished his freshman season with the Bears after averaging 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists, the cognoscenti envisioned him as the likely No. 4 pick going to the Hornets. But he could be on the rise — perhaps to No. 3 and Philadelphia — receiving the windfall for the uncertainty of Ace Bailey after he canceled a workout with the 76ers this past week.

On Tuesday, Edgecombe called the decision to move to Long Island from his native Bahamas to attend LuHi “super-important.”

“That helped me make my way to Division I because I was able to play with great players on a big-time national program that’s at the highest level of high school basketball,” he explained. “Coach [John] Buck did a really good job with me. He helped shape me into the man I am today and the player I’ve become.”

“He taught me different things than [just basketball],” he added. “He taught me things off the court, life lessons.”

Edgecombe said he felt he had a very good workout with Philadelphia. However, he understands that there are a lot of factors that determine a team’s selection and that in this draft, experts believe there might be six players who could be drafted third through eighth in any order depending on a team’s needs.

“I think that's up to the front office to choose who they want to pick,” Edgecombe said. “Maybe it’ll be Philly [but] we'll see.”

As to a role he feels would best fit him in general, he said, “I feel like I can go in and be a scorer. I feel like I can go in and be a 3-and-D guy. It’s whatever the team needs me to do. I’d just find my role.”

Edgecombe mostly played on outdoor courts and against lesser competition in the Bahamas and now feels he has a chance to become an example for young players there as the first first-rounder since Deandre Ayton went No. 1 to the Suns in 2018.

“It would mean a lot,” he said. “It's showing that all those kids can make it out.”

By Roger Rubin

roger.rubin@newsday.com@rogrubin

Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.