The third player selected in the first round of the NBA Draft on June 25 started his high school basketball career in Palm Beach County.
Baylor guard Valdez Drexel VJ Edgecombe Jr., selected by the Philadelphia 76ers, played at Victory International Training Institute in West Palm Beach. Now 19, he migrated from the Bahamas to Florida when he was in the ninth grade and competed for two seasons at Victory International.
Most NBA scouts lauded him for his athleticism and ability to play both ends of the floor.
During an interview with NBA TV after being drafted, Edgecombe talked about his struggles growing up in the Bahamas. He spoke about how his family survived using a generator for electricity for seven years. He gave his mother credit for sacrificing to help the family.
“Seeing what she had to go through to feed us, it’s crazy,” Edgecombe said while holding back tears.
He had advice for those who are struggling and want to follow his path to success.
“Don’t stop working. Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t,” he said. “I heard that a lot growing up, me and my cousins, we heard that a lot that ‘you can’t do it, you can’t do it,’ but man I’m telling you, if you have confidence in yourself, you have faith in yourself and in the Lord, I promise you, you’ll be just fine.”
It was in New York where the now 6-foot-5 guard’s game took off. After his sophomore year, Edgecombe transferred to Long Island Lutheran Middle and High School in Brookville, New York, as a boarding student. He was named the New York Gatorade Player of the Year and the National Interscholastic Basketball Conference (NIBC) Player of the Year at the end of his junior season when he averaged 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, helping lead the Crusaders to the state championship.
The following season, he averaged 17.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game to lead the Crusaders to a 21-5 record. He also was selected to play in the 2024 McDonald’s All-American Boys Basketball Game.
In his one season at Baylor, Edgecombe averaged 15 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.2 apg and 2.1 spg. He was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year. He injured his ankle during a midseason game against Kansas but came back to finish the season.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Philadelphia 76ers NBA draft pick VJ Edgecombe once starred in Palm Beach County
Reporting by Nick Pugliese, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
