In their first March Madness debut, Robert Wright II and VJ Edgecombe put forth a show. Not only did they showcase everything their team needed out of them, but they also had the utter confidence and control to put the nation on notice.
It didn’t come easy, but the victory came bittersweet. In a classic 8v9 meeting between No. 8 Mississippi State and No. 9 Baylor, the Bears seized a late-game, 75-72 victory. The Bears fended off a late push from the Bulldogs after VJ Edgecombe canned two free throws with 9 seconds remaining. Mississippi State was forced to toss up a full-court miracle with 0.2 remaining, and shortly after, the Bears found themselves dancing.
VJ Edgecombe with a triple 3️⃣#MarchMadness @BaylorMBB pic.twitter.com/AVJ1emUpl3
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2025
“I mean, it was just my teammates and just finding me in open spaces, and then me just finishing at the rim,” Robert Wright said following the victory. “We’re definitely clicking at the right time now. In the Big 12 Tournament, we took a tough loss to a tough Texas Tech team, so we’re definitely rolling right now.
In the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament, Baylor suffered a disheartening 76-74 loss after nearly mounting a comeback. Wright scored just 8 points in 25 minutes while Edgecombe 11 points in 36 minutes. Those two stat lines and performances appeared to be greatly enhanced today.
Robert Wright II scored a team-high 21 points, while VJ Edgecombe scored 16. The two were the focal point of a soaring Baylor offense that owned the paint. Baylor fell behind early but chipped away and overcame a small deficit to lead 37-32 at the half. Robert Wright carried all the momentum with 9 points heading into the break and was finishing, rather shifty and nifty, around the rim.
Baylor freshman point guard Robert Wright III impressed in his March Madness debut.
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 21, 2025
Wright finished with a team-high 19 points to lead the Bears to a Round One win 🔥 pic.twitter.com/BqqOoEg2Hr
In addition to Edgecombe and Wright, Langston Love had 15 points and 5 rebounds, while Norchad Omier had 12 points and 9 rebounds. On the other side, Mississippi State freshman guard Josh Hubbard notched a game-high 26 points, hitting four three-point attempts and nearly keeping his team in the game. Still, one freshman star wasn’t enough for two.
Baylor has yet again reached the second round of the NCAA tournament. However, since being crowned champions in 2021, the Bears have not made it past the Round of 32. If Robert Wright II and VJ Edgecombe can display another set of stunning performances, there may be serious mystical madness behind this freshman tandem.
Baylor will now face the winner of No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s and No. 1 Duke on Sunday, March 23.