By ADAM ZAGORIA
Baylor looks to be getting a star in V.J. Edgecombe of Long Island Lutheran.
Playing for the Bahamas in Olympic qualifying, the 6-foot-5 Edgecombe scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds in Wednesday 90-81 victory over Poland in Valencia, Spain. The victory propelled the Bahamas to the semifinals of the qualifying tournament.
After scoring 20 points in the previous game, Edgecombe scored 21 a day later, including a three-point dagger with 34.7 seconds left, while Deandre Ayton added 18 points and nine boards.
“It was a great game, we fought through adversity,” Edgecombe said. “We played a great opponent, Poland are a well-coached team. Now we are just going to focus on the next game.”
The Bahamas, which is seeking its first Olympic appearance, will next face Angola, Lebanon or Spain on Saturday.
Edgecombe, who in January chose Baylor over Kentucky and Duke, is the first teenager in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament in the modern era to score 20 or more points in back-to-back games. The Bahamas squad also includes Buddy Hield (17 points), who may soon end up with the Golden State Warriors as part of a sign-and-trade, and veteran Eric Gordon (12 points). Edgecombe is currently the projected No. 5 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, per ESPN.com. He heads to play for Coach Scott Drew alongside four-star point guard Robert Wright III of Montverde (FL) Academy and Duke transfer Jeremy Roach. Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram And Like ZAGS on FacebookRemember the name: VJ Edgecombe 🤩#FIBAOQT pic.twitter.com/mwHPND5gcf
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 2, 2024
