LuHi graduate VJ Edgecombe headed to NBA
Edgecombe is a former Gatorade High School player of the year and played college basketball at Baylor.
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LuHi graduate VJ Edgecombe is headed to the NBA.
The former Crusader star was drafted third overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the NBA Draft in Brooklyn.
That's the earliest a Long Islander has ever been drafted.
Edgecombe is a former Gatorade High School player of the year and played college basketball at Baylor.
The 6-4, 193-pound Edgecombe boasts explosive athleticism that stands out at both ends, notably as an above-the-rim finisher who creates highlight-reel moments.
The 19-year-old could be a rookie of the year contender or a rotation player, and his numbers next season won't matter much if two-time NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid can't make a successful return from knee surgery. Embiid had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April and the Sixers had yet to update his condition before the draft.
Team President Daryl Morey said he would spend the summer trying make the roster younger and more athletic to potentially help the team fight off the rash of injuries that wrecked the season and provide a bit of a cushion if the core trio are sidelined again for long stretches.
He starts with Edgecome, picked over Rutgers star Ace Bailey, who canceled a pre-draft workout with the 76ers.
Edgecombe finished in the draft combine’s top 10 with a 38.5-inch max vertical leap, had seven games with at least three made 3s and 11 games with three-plus steals. He shot just 34% on 3s and made just 25% (13 of 59) in off-dribble jumpers, according to Synergy’s analytics rankings.
Edgecombe grew up in the Bahamas. And now, he’s a guaranteed millionaire.
“We came from nothing. We’re truly blessed just to be in this position,” Edgecombe said after he was drafted.
AP News Wires Contributed to this story
