7. VJ Edgecombe (Baylor)
Scott Drew has built a career in Waco after turning around this Baylor program and continues to bring unique talent to town. Edgecombe is the next in a line of fantastic freshman recruits and might be the best of the bunch. A Top 5 recruit from last year’s class, Edgecombe is a 6’5 guard originally from the Bahamas who has certainly started to hit his stride in recent weeks and is one of many new faces doing numbers for the Bears.
We may not yet have seen the best from Edgecombe, who’s now averaging 13.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.4 steals per game. He has decent scoring numbers but really makes his presence known on the defense as one of the best freshmen in the nation in steals. He flirted with a triple-double against Sam Houston State, scored 20 points against Tennessee, and is playing his best basketball right now. This week against Kansas State, Edgecombe dropped a season-high 30 points to lead the Bears to a much-needed victory.
Edgecombe has continued to make plays and affect the game at multiple levels. His 3-point shooting has taken a step forward in recent weeks and his overall performance during Big 12 play has been at a high level. He’s the kind of athlete with flashes of brilliance, with the important 3-pointer or late steal to help seal a game during the NCAA Tournament. This all depends on Baylor winning enough games in conference play to give Edgecombe that opportunity, though he himself appears to be grabbing that by the horns.